Don't Let It Go To Your Head
by Aurore Day
Summary: Formerly Ew. About a girl who was completely in control... and that one boy who just had to mess things up. Aria Colette. Sirius/OC
1. Introduction

**Hi Everyone! For those of you that read this story, you'll notice I have changed the first chapter. I got a lot of complaints about it when I first wrote it, so I finally decided to go back and reread it to figure out what was wrong. And Man! That chapter was awful! Aria sounded so stuck up! So I came back and rewrote it. Review and tell me what you think of the new version!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything relating to it. I only own Aria and the other OCs. **

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Heels or flats? It's a hard question. Heels are obviously much more uncomfortable, but extremely fashionable. They make your legs look good too, which is important when wearing a skirt.

Flats, on the other hand, are more comfortable and casual. They are cute, but don't quite have the 'wow factor'. Flats are going out to a café with friends and heels are going out and dancing in a club.

I stared at the two pairs of shoes. And stared. And stared. Until I couldn't take it any longer. I slipped a heeled shoe on one foot and a flat on the other, and stood to look at myself in the mirror.

I saw what I always saw. Small, curvy, 16 (almost 17) year old girl with golden hair that curls down to my waist and periwinkle eyes that clear to blue if I'm lying and become purple if I'm doing magic. Pale skin with golden freckles scattered across my nose. A scar, about an inch thick and pale white, that starts at the nape of my neck and wraps around to my collarbone. I'm pretty, I guess. But I've never been the kind of pretty I should be. I've always been small, curvy, cute whereas I'm supposed to be tall, regal, and elegant. After all, isn't that the definition of a Malfoy?

My mother is Christiana Malfoy, daughter of old Mr. Malfoy. **She** is tall, imposing, regal, elegant, etc and thinks I should be too. It got even worse when I was sorted into Gryffindor.

My mother was a Slytherin and my father, Arc Colette, came from a long line of Ravenclaws. Neither of them have a Gryffindor anywhere near their family. But, of course, I get to go and change all that. Not a fun position to be in, I assure you.

I hate almost all Slytherin's with the exception of my childhood friend, Narcissa Black. We've been through a lot together. I don't think I could ever truly hate her, even if she decided to start Muggle torturing or something. The only other Slytherin I like besides her, is her friend Nyx Loyde. Nyx and I will never be as close as I am with Cissy, but we like each other, to some degree.

Heels or flats? I brought my head back to the matter in question. I glanced at my feet. Heels, definitely. I needed to look my best, always but especially today.

Why, you ask? Well, today is the beginning of my seventh year at Hogwarts. And the most popular girl in the school needs to look great every day, but especially the first day.

I don't really know why I am popular. Okay, that is a lie, I do. All my life, I've been brought up to act. To act perfect. That said, I act a whole lot different than most Slytherin family born. While they act icy, cold, without emotion, I am bubbly, happy, and kind. I'm always nice, whether inside I'm angry or grumpy or irritated, I never let it show. I guess that's why I'm able to cross so many house lines.

I have friends in every house but my best friends are Lily Evans (Gryffindor), Kristy Kurious (Gryffindor), Rayne Hale (Ravenclaw), and Narcissa Black. It's difficult to juggle, sometimes. Gryffindors don't like Slytherins, so they don't get how I could. But I'm not exactly your average Gryffidor…

I was ready. My bag was packed, my clothes were straightened, my heels were firmly on my feet. I grabbed my trunk, glancing back once more at myself and summing myself up.

Pretty girl.

Nice.

Kind.

Fake.

Loves everyone.

… Well, loves almost everyone.

Because there is someone I just can't stand.

Any guesses? Because this will surprise you.

With every fiber of my being, I, Aria Colette, hate Sirius Black.

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**I hope you had fun reading and thought this one was a little better!**

**Love you all!**


	2. Couldn't stay away?

**Hi! Back again? Couldn't stay away, could you? ;P**

**Man… I'm starting to sound like my characters… is that a good thing or a bad thing?**

**Anyway, back to the point at hand. Thanks to my reviewers, even the critical ones. It helps to know what others think of your story, even if it's bad. I hope you know that I took your advice to heart. And thanks also to those who added me to Favorites and/or Story Alert. It means a lot!**

**Again, I do not own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does. I just own Aria and the other OCs.**

**Please enjoy and review!**

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You know, there is one thing harder than finding an atheist in the trenches. And that is finding an empty compartment on the Hogwarts Express.

Everyone always says they'll come early and get a compartment. Yet somehow, it never happens. So I was completely unsurprised to find myself searching for a compartment alone.

I was ten minutes early and the train was practically deserted. I took my time selecting a compartment, choosing one near the back, where all the older students were bound to flock. I settled myself into my seat, fidgeting impatiently as I waited.

It wasn't long before the station was filled with students and their tearful families. My parents had bid me adieu the day before, not liking the idea of mixing with all the Muggle-borns and half-bloods. While not strict purists, they were still distasteful of those with half, or no, wizarding blood. It was one of the many things we disagreed on.

"Couldn't get away from your parents fast enough?" The low, distinctly male voice made me jump. I hadn't realized someone had entered the compartment.

I swung around to face a tall, black-haired boy with silver eyes. Sirius Black. God, he was looking hotter than ever. How did he _do_ that?

"I see you just couldn't stay away, Sirius." While my words were slightly flirtatious, my voice was a growl. Which was not good. I couldn't go getting _mad_. I was never mad, or angry. Trying to fix things, I smiled cheerily. Hopefully, it looked genuine.

Sirius's grin widened and he stepped into the compartment, sitting right next to me. I could feel his body heat radiating from him.

Let me get this straight before I continue. Sirius Black is possibly the hottest, sexiest thing ever to set foot on Hogwarts ground. Sorry Dumbledore, you got nothing on him. His long, dark hair, piercing silver eyes, and suggestive grin are just the start. He's tall and muscled from Quidditch. He is to die for. Unfortunately, he is also an arrogant, conceited git who goes through girls lie they're used up parchment. Honestly, 90% of the older female population of Hogwarts has at least kissed Sirius Black. Sadly, I'm part of that 90%. Let's just say I was young and painfully naïve and leave it at that.

Back in the compartment, I knew better than to inch away. I also knew better than to reply. I sat placidly, ignoring him. He did likewise, not in the least bit fazed or uncomfortable being ignored. I was surprised he didn't react. He was used to most girls bowing at his feet.

"Aria!" I turned to see my best friend, Lily Evans, entering the compartment. Her red hair swung merrily at her shoulders and her green eyes sparkled. Thos same eyes widened when she saw who was sitting beside me.

"Black?" she asked, sliding her eyes questioningly to me. It wasn't a well-known fact that I didn't like Sirius. He was one of the only people at Hogwarts I absolutely hated, but I could easily pretend to be okay with him. No one ever knows if I dislike anyone. In fact, I'm known for getting along with everyone and never getting mad. Or at least, never appearing mad. I tend to keep my anger inside.

I greeted Lily, bouncing forward to kiss her cheek. "Lily darling!" I hugged her, noticing that she'd grown. My head only reached her chin now. "I came to find a compartment and this dog-" I glanced at Sirius for emphasis, "-practically molested me! My poor innocent mind!" I flung myself at Lily, fake crying. Lily looked mostly annoyed and a little amused.

"Quit the dramatics, Aria. And Black, get out of our compartment." She sent a scathing glare at Black. Those use to be quite effective, but she over used them. Now, Sirius just grinned wider, if possible.

"I'm quite comfortable here, thanks." He stretched, resting his legs on the opposite seat. I imagined cutting off his feet and then flinched. Mustn't think such things.

Lily groaned. She turned to face me. "I am _not _sharing a compartment with that… that…" She struggled to find the words.

"Arrogant, womanizing, complete and utter arse?" I prodded helpfully, pretending to be joking. I smiled, to make it seem less like I was insulting Sirius.

"Perfect, amazing, spectacularly wonderful man?" Sirius contributed, not so helpfully.

Lily glared at him briefly and resumed speaking to me. "Look, if I sit here, Potter will be bugging me non-stop. And even if you want to sit with Black, you can't really want to subject me to that."

"Hey, James isn't that bad! Give him a chance Evans." Sirius spoke up on behalf of his friends.

I smiled happily at Lily, masking any dislike of Black. "Come on. Let's go find Kristy!"

"Oi!" Sirius started, but I slammed the door shut in his face. It was rather satisfying.

"I bet Kristy's found a compartment," Lily assured me. "God, I can't tell you how surprised I was to find you in there with Black. Was he trying to chat you up?"

I giggled, clutching Lily's arm. "No way! He was just trying to irritate me. You know he has that weird obsession with trying to make me mad."

Lily smiled slightly. "You're so even tempered, Ari. You never get mad. You make me so jealous! Maybe if I stopped yelling at him, Potter would leave me alone."

I tried to imagine a Lily without a temper. It was a scary thought. "No, I don't think James would give up that easily." I pushed open one of the last compartment doors and we entered to find our other friend, Kristy Kurious, waiting.

Kristy is kind of odd looking. She's really tall, about 5'10, and super skinny. She's a whole lot of angles, because her bones are so prominent. Her hair is a bleached blonde and her eyes are a deep brown. It's a curious combination, which I suspect is quite normal for a Kurious girl. (**Ha ha, I got a bad pun in there…)**

"Girls!" Kristy squealed, her American accent a subtle undertone in her voice. Kristy had come to England in her third year, and had never quite lost her accent.

We all hugged, laughing and squealing. It was the first time we'd seen each other since last year.

"Oh lovely ladies! What a relief to have you guys back!" We settled ourselves in our seats, grinning helplessly. I, for one, had really missed them.

"What took you so long, darlings?" Kristy inquired. "I nearly died of loneliness."

"Sirius." I blurted out, regretting it as soon as I said it. Kristy is in the 10% of girls who haven't kissed Sirius. Unfortunately, she is also in the 99% that want to.

"Oh God!" Kristy's eyes grew misty. "Is he just as hot as last year?"

"Actually," I said, lowering my voice and making it breathy. "He is so, so much better."

"Really?" Kristy gasped, jumping to her feet. Next thing I knew, she was racing out of the compartment, camera in hand. Damn. I shouldn't have teased her.

"Look what you've done now," Lily grumbled, getting up to follow our love struck, or more like lust struck, friend. "We'll never hear the end of it."

"Look at the bright side," I chimed, bouncing on the balls of my feet. "At least now we have some entertainment."

We found Kristy in the Marauders' compartment. She was sitting across from Sirius, hanging onto his every word. Also inside was James Potter, complete with tousled black hair and glinting hazel eyes. Remus Lupin was huddled in the corner, poring over some book. Peter Pettigrew was watching Kristy and Sirius, his rodent-like eyes wide.

James looked up at our entry and grinned when he saw Lily. His crazy crush on her had obviously not disappeared. Shame. I would have to spend a year hearing Lily whine about how annoying James Potter is.

"Evans." His voice had deepened over the summer. It was low and pleasant. I saw Lily's eyelashes flutter. Coincidentally, of course.

"Potter," she replied briskly, her voice not even a little breathy. I rolled my eyes. She'd been in love with him since 5th year and been in denial for the same amount of time. I don't know how she does it. Maybe it's a super power. The power of denial? Sounds pretty boring to me. Life is so much more interesting when you admit things to yourself.

Lily tugged Kristy by the arm. "Come on, Kristy. Let's go back to our compartment."

Kristy merely brushed off her hand, not even looking away for Sirius. Jeez. If there were a Sirius Black fan club, she would be president. Oops! That's actually true! Yes, sadly Kristy is the President of the Official Sirius Black Fan Club. She actually wears a little badge. Sometimes I think the only reason Lily and I are friends with her is because we don't want Sirius. Which is not saying he doesn't want us. Sirius wants anything in a skirt. Except Lily, who is off limits because of James.

"Aw… Evans, look. Kristy can stay. You all can stay. We've got plenty of room." James generously offered. Lily gritted her teeth. _So_ in denial.

"Thanks James!" I beamed at him, plopping down next to Kristy. "We'd love to stay. After all, we can't take Lily away from her one and only."

See, James and I have an understanding. I think he should be with Lily. He agrees. I tend to tease her mercilessly about it.

Lily turned and glared at me. I shrugged and stretched my arms above my head, mimicking Sirius's earlier nonchalance. Lily groaned and sat next to me, her arms crossed and lips pouting.

After a few minutes of light and sometimes annoying conversation, Lily, Remus, and James left for prefect duties. Lily and James were Head Boy and Girl. How James got to be Head Boy is a mystery. Lily thinks Dumbledore has gone insane. I think that maybe he had a few too many fire whiskeys at the Three Broomsticks. You know that Dumbledore, always a partier.

Sadly, their departure left me in a compartment with only Sirius, Kristy, and Pettigrew for company. Not exactly my piece of cake. After a few minutes of hearing Sirius go on about himself, I decided to grant Kristy her biggest wish and leave her alone with Sirius. Maybe he'd finally snog her and I wouldn't have to hear about him anymore.

I made my way through the train, an easy smile plastered on my face. I stopped to chat with everyone, never letting on if I felt they were annoying or rude. I'd been trained from a young age to never let on what I really felt. Even Lily didn't know how I felt half the time. As was seen in the case of Sirius.

In the fourth compartment from the front, I found Rayne Hale. Rayne is Asian, with long, thick black hair that frizzes in the rain. She's small, but still taller than me. She has pale, clear skin and black teddy bear eyes. She and Lily often compete for the title 'Best Student in Our Year'. Because of that, neither likes each other all that much. However, Rayne and I share a mutual interest in dueling and similar naughty humor, making it easy for us to be friends.

"Rayne, love!" I called out. She looked up, a small smile twitching on her lips. "How was your summer?"

She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I read mostly. Hung out with my family. I practiced some Quidditch and studied a lot."

"Oh, you poor thing!" I flung my arms around, which, if you haven't noticed, is not unusual for me. I like hugging my friends. In a completely non-weird way. "You'll probably have nothing to study this year! Woe is you!"

"Well, this is our last year," she said defensively. "I've got to beat Lily now or never!" She bit her lip, actually looking worried.

I giggled and gave her a small squeeze. "You'll be fine. And cool down on the competition. It's not that important."

After talking to Rayne for a while, I set out to find the last of my friends. It wasn't that hard; everyone avoided the Slytherin compartments, but the Slytherins and me.

Narcissa and Nyx were sitting alone; talking in low, calm voices. I paused before entering the compartment, noticing the contrast between the friends. Narcissa was paler than even I was, with white-gold hair. Her eyes were chips of ice. Nyx was darker, with ebony skin and storm cloud eyes. She was exotic, a rare African flower, where Narcissa was an elegant English rose.

" 'Lo, you two!" I called out, throwing open the door. Neither startled like normal people would, but their faces were mildly surprised as they turned to look at me.

"Aria." Narcissa's normally emotionless face held a hint of affection as she turned my way. I beamed at the friendship I could see in her blue eyes. "Sit down. It's been a long time. How was your summer?"

That was Cissy, always formal. "My summer was rather boring, to tell the truth. I missed you all something dreadful!" I grabbed one of her pumpkin pastries and dug in. My Slytherin friends kindly ignored my terrible manners, used to me being exceptionally hungry the first day back. "How were your summers?" I asked between bites.

Nyx smiled stiffly. "I have some good news."

"Oh really?" We had corresponded…

She seemed to read my thoughts. "I was rather recent… and I wanted to tell you in person." She paused, and then looked up at us, no emotion in her face. "I'm engaged."

There was a moment of stillness. Arranged marriages are quite common among pure blood families. Cissy had been engaged since she was eleven. Still…

I dropped my pastry to hug Nyx tightly, faking excitement. "Congrats! Are you in love? Is he handsome? Do I know him?"

Nyx carefully removed my arms. "It _was_ arranged, Aria. That normally doesn't mean love. And you do know him. He goes to our school."

"Who?" It was hurting us all, faking this enthusiasm for what we all knew Nyx didn't want. She was secretly in love with a Muggle, but couldn't act on her feelings for fear of being disowned. I was just glad she wasn't crying. Cissy had cried for days when she was engaged to Lucius.

Nyx's lips pursed and she lowered her head. "Regulas Black," she whispered.

"Oh God." The words came out of my mouth involuntarily. I had heard stories of Sirius's brother, who was famous for abusing his girlfriends. Poor, poor Nyx. In that moment, it was the hardest thing I had ever done to keep my façade together. "Well, he's very good looking." My words were true, but not comforting.

Nyx looked down at her hands in her lap, hiding her face behind volumes of dark hair. "Yes."

Narcissa leaned forward, reaching to hold our hands. In a nearly silent voice, she whispered, "Strength, sister. Strength and courage." The three of us held hands and watched as the carriages came into view.

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**I hope you liked this chapter! I know it's a little slow, because it's mostly just introducing the characters. One thing I liked was that you could start to see Aria's flaws, which she tries so desperately to hide.**

**The next chapter will be up soon, probably later today. Oh and happy almost Easter! **

**I'm going to try to find a way to incorporated bunnies into my next chapter, as an Easter surprise! Watch out!**

**Thanks again!**


	3. Bunny Queen

**Hello! **_**It is Easter Break!**_** And, as I said, I have a post-Easter surprise for you in this chapter! (Hint: It features bunnies. Bunnies, mind you, not rabbits. Because they are completely different things)**

**Thanks again for those that reviewed or favorited me! It's nice knowing that someone out there cares what I'm writing!**

**I'm going to try and get some Sirius POV in this chapter, so we'll see how you like it! Have fun and thanks for reading!**

**Warning: I do not own Harry Potter or the Harry Potter world. I just like to live there. Mentally. Which is what I am, mental. And I'm also rambling…**

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The Great Hall was glorious. From the enchanted ceiling to the shimmering gold plates, it looked every inch the wealthy, medieval castle. I sat with Lily and Kristy, marveling at the splendor.

The scared first years stood shakily in their line, eyes darting nervously about. I could still remember every moment of my Sorting…

_I held Cissy's hand as we were ushered into the Great Hall. I looked without really seeing, getting only brief impressions of walls and faces and tables. I waited anxiously for the Sorting Hat, wanting it all over and done._

_Cissy was called first, and I was left alone. I watched as she was easily sorted into Slytherin, just as we always knew she would. I was the one we were worried about._

_I had never fit in the Slytherin mold. While it was a diamond, I was a triangle. Close, but not close enough. No one knew where I was going. My daddy hoped it would be Ravenclaw, his house of origin. My mother said she didn't care, as long as it wasn't Hufflepuff. She thought they were disgustingly nice._

_When McGonagall called my name, at first I didn't respond. My mother always called me by her maiden name. I was used to Aria Malfoy or Aria Malfoy Colette. Just plain Aria Colette seemed so strange and foreign to me._

_After McGonagall called three times, I realized she meant me. I hurried to the front amidst snickers and jammed the hat on my head._

_It was dark under the hat's rim and I was surprised the Hat didn't shout at once. All the other Sortings so far had been quick._

_A few seconds of silence past and the Hat began musing, speaking only to me._

_**My, my, you are a riddle, Miss Aria. Your mother and father were both so easy… but you… You are a tricky one. Slytherin upbringing, definitely. You know how to keep your emotions in check. You appear to others like a Hufflepuff, kind and sweet. But what you really are… that's the question. **_

_He paused for a minute, apparently thinking it through._

_**Do you know what your name means? **__The Hat asked quite suddenly. _

No! _I thought, shaking slightly. I knew an aria was a type of song, but other than that…_

_The hat seemed amused. __**Your name means lion, so I think you better be a **_**GYRFFINDOR!!!**

_I threw the hat off my head and skipped to the table at the far left that was streaming with red and gold. My new housemates cheered, a little surprised, but willing to welcome even a half Malfoy._

I watched as the First Years were sorted. There seemed to be an abnormal amount of Hufflepuffs this year, a joy for Lily. They rarely caused any trouble at all, being the kind, hard-working folk they were. Only four students were sorted into Gryffindor. We cheered extra loud for them, putting other Houses to shame.

Just before Dumbledore's speech, Kristy began moaning about her stomach. "I haven't eaten since morning," she complained. "I was too busy-"

"Stalking Sirius," I muttered, filling in the blank. Lily laughed softly at my side.

"You stalk me darling? I'm flattered, really." Sirius murmured from across the table. His eyes sparkled merrily as he tried to provoke me.

"Sirius, are you hearing things? I knew you wanted me, but dreaming of me stalking you is taking it a little too far." I kept a smile on my face, acting like a normal, joking teenage girl, while imagining driving a stake into his heart. Think of the horrible splinters.

This verbal war has been going on since 5th year, when he snogged me. It hadn't ended well and ever since, he constantly tried to irritate me. It was harder on my end, because I couldn't give away my dislike of him. My reputation would be ruined and all the Sirius fan girls would murder me for speaking badly to their dearest love.

"Whatever it takes." He smiled, settling back in his seat. I turned around, ignoring him completely. He wasn't worth my time.

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**Sirius's POV:**

Let's make this clear. I do not hate Aria Colette. I also do not like Aria Colette. I just think she's fun to mess with. That is the end of the story. There is no prequel and definitely no sequel. There isn't even any writing between the lines.

…

Okay, I lied. There is a little writing between the lines. Actually, not a little. A lot. A whole subplot, you could say. I guess I could explain…

Well, Aria Colette is the most popular girl at Hogwarts. Scratch that. She is the most popular person at Hogwarts, period. She even beats out James and me. Everyone likes her. All the Houses, all the teachers, even Filch. Filch likes her. And Filch doesn't normally like anyone but that demented cat of his.

So, sometime around the beginning of 5th year, I get really curious about why she is so popular. It's kind of weird, you know. No one should be able to get along with everyone. So I come up with this plan. Not a plan actually, just an idea. I start watching her. Not in a creepy stalker way, just an observant, clinical way. It becomes a hobby of mine. When I'm bored or something, I look at what Aria is doing. Which is normally even more boring because it's so repetitive. She's normally laughing and talking with friends.

About two weeks in, I finally have my break through. Never once does Aria Colette get mad. She rarely even frowns or looks annoyed. She smiles constantly, doesn't even groan with the rest of us at homework. Just shrugs, smiles, and moves on. Which is pretty freakish if you think about it. What kind of person doesn't get mad? Even better, what kind of Gryffindor doesn't have a temper? We Gryffindors are known for our fiery tempers. But you can throw anything at Aria and she doesn't get mad. She just shrugs it off and says something kind back. Scary, right?

So I decide to try and see if I can make her mad, or even annoyed. For a couple of weeks, whenever I'm around her, I'm as obnoxious as possible. She's a little surprised that I'm suddenly targeting her with so much hostility, but doesn't react other than that. Just smiles and moves on.

After a while, I'm getting irritated. My plan isn't working and the girl is annoyingly happy all the time. Non-stop, around the clock happiness. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I come up with the ultimate plan. The execution goes perfectly. I do it and…

That was when I finally met Aria Colette.

You see, I tend to think of her as Aria Malfoy. She acts like all those pure blood Slytherins from the older families do. She keeps all her feelings hidden inside, but she hides them behind a mask of happiness instead of sneering nonchalance. So, seeing the real Aria, completely enraged and out of control, was amazing. I mean, she slapped me! People do not slap me. It's a major no-no. But she slapped me. Then she stormed off. I felt like I was finally looking a real person instead of a painting.

The next day, she's all cheery and acts like nothing has happened. It was beyond freaky. She barely speaks to me, but when she does, she smiling and happy. That day was the day I made The Vow.

I vowed that I would get Aria Colette to always be Aria Colette. I'd make her mad repeatedly. I'd get her to act like a Gryffindor for once.

Of course, I can't spend all my time ticking her off. I've got my mates, girlfriends, and classes, of course. But whenever I do have a spare minute, she's what I think of. I've tried so hard for the past year and a half, with no success. And this is our last year. So it's now or never. Actually, no. It's going to be now.

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**Aria's POV:**

The worst day of school is always the first one. You don't actually learn anything, and it's basically the same every year. The professors blab on with their standard speech. Pretty much: 'Your education/OWLS/NEWTS is/are very important. This year is going to be much harder than last year and you really need to crack down and focus or else I am going to come after you with a blazing fork.'

Because of my hatred of this day, the first day has been dubbed 'The-day-when-Aria Colette-goes-completely-crazy-and-gets-detention'. When people thought of the first day of school, they thought first of the Marauders back-to-school prank and second of my annual exhibition. And this year was going to be the best year yet.

At breakfast, Lily and Kristy were watching my cautiously out of the corner of their eyes. Kristy looked eager, waiting to be amused. She normally got dragged into my pranks, so we had detention together. Lily looked worried. As Head Girl, it was her duty to stop me. Honestly, she looked forward to my prank as much as I did. I had to be careful not to give away anything.

In Transfiguration, more people were watching me than Professor McGonagall. I hated transfiguration, so it seemed likely I would strike then. It made sense to me too. I discreetly pulled out my wand and performed a quick spell on myself.

"MUA HA HA!!!" My loud cackle interrupted McGonagall's speech. I leapt up on my desk in the front, turning to face the other students. They roared with laughter when they saw the golden crown and bunny ears situated on my head.

"MY SUBJECTS!" I cried out. "I AM THE BUNNY QUEEN! ALL WILL OBEY ME!!!" I pointed to Kristy. "BOW DOWN, MY BUNNY MINION!!!"

Kristy instantly dropped to the ground. "I am yours to command, great rabbit queen!"

"AH!" I flung an eraser at her. "NO! I AM THE BUNNY QUEEN! RABBITS ARE EVVVIIILLLL!!! KILL THE RABBITS!!!"

"AAAHHH!" Kristy flung herself to the feet of my desk. "Forgive your humble servant! I meant no offense!"

Rayne, who was sitting in the back of the classroom, frowned. "I'm sorry to interrupt, great Bunny Queen, but aren't bunnies the same thing as rabbits!"

"ARGH!!!" I threw a fluffy, pink pillow at her. Where did that come from? "OF COURSE NOT!!! BUNNIES ARE SO MUCH BETTER!!!"

"WHAT IS THIS?!" McGonagall had finally regained her ability to speak. "Miss Aria, get down off that desk! Miss Kurious, get off the floor!"

I swung around to point accusingly at her. "YOU DARE COMMAND THE BUNNY QUEEN?! OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!!!"

Lily was trying her hardest not to giggle as she addressed our confused and annoyed teacher. "She's obviously under a spell of some sort, Professor. Maybe I should take Aria and Kristy to the Hospital Wing?"

McGonagall nodded tersely. "Yes, thank, Miss Evans." Lily grabbed Kristy and I by the elbows, dragging us out of the room.

On the way out, I turned back to give one last message to my classmates. "ALL HAIL THE BUNNY QUEEN!!!"

Once we were a corridor away, we all succumbed to laughter. We stood shrieking in the hall, bunny ears still on my head.

"I actually got away without detention!" I screamed, high-fiveing Kristy. Lily was on the floor, crying with laughter.

"That was the best!" Lily giggled. She mimicked me, staring at us while furrowing her brow and pouting her lips. She looked ridiculous. "ALL HAIL THE BUNNY QUEEN!" she screamed threateningly while poking me with her wand. This set us off again, and we were on the floor, unable to stop laughing.

We were still shaking with irrational laughter when the Marauders nearly bowled over us. They were sprinting in our direction, away from the Transfiguration room where they should have been. Thinking about it, they hadn't been there a few minutes ago… oh yeah, the Marauders back-to-school prank. What was it this year?

"RUN!" James panted.

It was then that we saw the hundred or so enraged Slytherins stampeding the hall.

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**Sorry! Couldn't think of an easier way to round off the chapter!**

**Please review! I will post another chapter as soon as I can!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. 3 AM

**Hello! Good morning and happy April 15****th****! **

**Before we start our story, I just wanted to clarify something from the last chapter. Aria is **_**not**_** sorted into Gryffindor for just her name. I simply thought it was a cool way of getting her sorted. She is a Gryffindor on the inside, it'll just take her a while to express it. So thanks for pointing that out so I can clear things up!**

**Warning: I do not own any of the Harry Potter series, characters, places, etc. If I did, would I be writing fan fiction?**

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The Slytherins were pounding down the hall, screaming at the tops of their lungs. I couldn't quite make out the words, but the tone was clear enough. These Slytherins were mad. And the one thing worse than a horde of angry Slytherins is a sane Dumbledore. You see my point.

"RUN!!!" James bellowed again, and, taking his own advice, sprinted faster. Lily, Kristy and I scrambled to our feet and ran full speed in the direction opposite the Slytherins. Even if we had nothing to do with it, they would probably trample us, half Malfoy or not.

The Marauders were on our heels, panting pitifully. Or I suppose it was really Peter wheezing. Oh well. He wheezed enough for all of them.

I thanked god that I had been jogging all summer as I put on an extra burst of speed. We were coming to a split in the hall. Great. Decisions, decisions. I could go right, left, or straight. At the last minute, I veered right, and felt someone behind me take the same route. The Slytherins screamed in outrage and split in three, one third going down each corridor.

I glanced behind me to see my sole fleeing companion was none other than Sirius Black. I felt my legs move even faster. Still, he kept up with me easily. After all, he was a foot or so taller.

"Up here," he whispered, the words breathless, "Sharp left!" I jerked my head to the side, to show I understood, and flat out sprinted the last few hundred feet. I turned the sharp left and was unceremoniously pushed behind a tapestry. To my surprise, there was a hallway concealed behind the tapestry. I ducked in quickly, Sirius behind me.

We waited in exhausted silence as the Slytherins stampeded past, screaming for justice. Once their footsteps faded away, I slumped to the cool, stone floor, tired beyond all belief.

"What did you do?" I whispered after a minute or so of silence. Sirius was leaning against the opposite wall, somehow able to keep standing. Must he always be better?

Sirius grinned slightly, his eyes closed. "Charmed their skin. They now have flashing tattoos saying such things as 'Gryffindors rock and Slytherins eat socks' and 'we worship the Marauders and their hotness'. Nothing big."

I tilted my head back to look at him, too tired to be happy and bright. "Yeah," I said sarcastically, "Nothing big. Now tell me, when do these tattoos wear off? And how do you plan to avoid being murdered?"

Sirius chuckled, sounding a little surprised. "No need to fear for my health, Aria. And don't you know tattoos are permanent?"

I sat bolt up right, exhaustion forgotten. "The tattoos are… permanent?" I gasped. I blinked several times, and shook my head. "You have got to be kidding me."

His eyes sparkled at me. "I don't kid, Ari."

I frowned. "Don't call me Ari." I snapped, and then covered my mouth. I had just frowned and snapped at Sirius Black. I couldn't do this. I couldn't lose control now!

I immediately pull my composure together. "I'm sorry, Sirius. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just a little shocked and tired." I smiled sweetly at him, hating the lie. I wanted crush him and make him miserable, but I would settle for killing with kindness.

He was looking at me strangely, frowning slightly with disappointed eyes. "What?" I asked, infusing the question with worry, not annoyance. "Is something wrong Sirius?"

He shook his head, pushing off of the wall. "Nothing. It's just a little odd that you're apologizing for acting like a tolerable human being for once." He waved a hand. "See ya'." Sirius ducked out of the hidden hallway and walked briskly down the corridor, whistling softly.

I stared after him. I wanted to grab him and demand to know what the hell he meant. I wanted to push him and hit him and kick him. But I was Aria Colette, so I stayed in that little hallway, thinking about the past. Quieting my anger, and remembering why I couldn't ever show it. Everything had a price.

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I am a serious procrastinator. I am the 'I-am-just-going-to-put-this-homework-off-because-I-have-an-actual-social-life-unlike-the-proffesors-who-wish-they-were-us' sort of girl. Seriously, the only reason we have so much homework is because the professors wish they had our youth and beauty. To that, I say, "Look at Headmaster Dumbledore! He is the shining example of a sexy, social elderly man who knows how to party." Well, maybe cutting the sexy part. The only thing less sexy than Dumbledore is a drunk Slughorn. Been there, seen that. God, I do hate that man. Slughorn, that is. He is so disgustingly… sucking. He's like those teacher's pet kids. He sucks up to everyone. Which isn't really fitting, as he is the teacher. Ah, lost my train of thought.

So, procrastination. One of my biggest faults. Well, biggest **known** faults. Lily has tried desperately over the years to correct my behavior, but I refuse to change my ways. It was no surprise to either of us that Thursday evening of my first week, I was furiously writing an essay in the back of the common room.

Lily sighed, surveying my work. It was neat, especially for the speed it had been written at, but its substance was obviously lacking. Lily clicked her tongue, disappointed.

"Aria, it's our last year. Can't you at least **try** to keep on top of things?" Lily's voice was weary, fighting a battle she knew she wouldn't win.

"Lily…" I sighed. "I just… I always feel like 'oh, there's another day, it'll be fine'. And then it gets down to the last day… and I cram." I brightened up. "Hey, it's worked for the past six years. I can do it again."

Lily shot me a skeptical look. "Last year, you stayed up until about three in the morning almost every night. You almost went to Madame Pomfrey for lack of sleep. You can't do that again."

I slumped. "You're right. As always." I squared my shoulders. "From now on, I will be a new Aria! One who does her homework the night it's assigned and never, ever stays up late!"

My dramatic declaration was interrupted by a smug voice. "I seriously doubt it."

Remind me again why I don't just punch him? Oh yeah, mustn't be angry, mustn't be angry. I turned to face Sirius Black with a smile.

"I understand your doubts, Sirius, but with Lily helping me out, I'm sure I can succeed. You can do anything if you put your mind to it."

Sirius simply snorted.

Lily looked from me to Sirius, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "I've got an idea!" she said, brightly. That was never good. When Lily was bright, she was at her worst. "Why don't you and Sirius work together? Remus often complains about how badly Sirius procrastinates. It sounds like you guys are the perfect pair!"

I couldn't help my eyes widening in alarm, but I pulled it off as merely startled. "Uh, Lily… wows! Thanks, but I think I can do this on my own." I quickly turned to Sirius, determined not to appear rude. "Although, if Sirius thinks he could use my help, I'll certainly oblige."

I was proud of the way I had made him pick. Either he accepted and appeared as if he needed the help of a girl or he declined, but lost all opportunity to tease me. A hard dilemma… or so I thought.

Sirius beamed at me. "How kind! I will gladly accept your help! After all, you could probably use someone there to help you out as well. I saw what you got on the Transfiguration essay today. You could do much better than an A."

I gritted my teeth. How did he find out these things? "I suppose we could both use the help," I allowed diplomatically. I was fully aware that the smile I flashed him was tight and most likely looked forced, but I couldn't do any better. Sirius Black brought out the worst in me.

Lily looked like Christmas had come early. "Wonderful! Why don't both of you meet in the library for two hours each day after class?" She looked from Sirius's triumphant face to my calm façade and clapped delightedly. "Great then! It's settled!" My former best friend spun off, a new spring in her step. Lily gets some odd enjoyment from making people study. I turned around and headed for the girl's dormitory, still unsure how this disaster had happened.

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When I woke up Friday morning, I had only gotten four hours of sleep. Okay, so maybe Lily was right about the whole non-procrastination thing, but I wasn't going to admit it. Especially since she had managed to get me into my own personal hell. It took me ten minutes to pull myself together enough to walk to breakfast with a smile and a skip.

I entered the Great Hall to a familiar scene. James and Lily were at it… again. I half smiled as I sat down next to Kristy. "What's going on?" I muttered while buttering a scone. Lily's screeching increased in volume.

"Potter asked her out again." Kristy informed me, matter-a-fact. "Lily just shot up and started screaming at him about how this was her last year and she didn't want it to be miserable because he was constantly stalking her and taking down her boyfriends. James has mostly just stood there, but I don't think he's taking it well."

James actually looked like someone was using Crucio on him. I could almost see her words hitting him and him flinching away. A pang of sympathy went from me to the boy with the messy black hair.

"Just leave me alone, Potter." Lily suddenly looked exhausted. "I can't deal with you right now."

"Lily," James pleaded. Lily just shook her head.

"Sometimes I think my life would be better if you were just dead, Potter." The worst thing about the cruel statement was the weary tone she said it in. It was as if she really meant it.

The look on James face… I turned away. I hurt me to see someone in that much pain. I heard a shift of fabric in the silent Hall. Everyone was watching James and Lily. Sirius stood beside James, pulling him away, out the Hall, back to the Common Room probably. Lily was looking into the distance, her face blank but tired. She lowered her head and I thought I saw a tear roll down her cheek before she wiped a hand across her face. She exited the Hall as well, headed for Potions, our first class.

I stood up and left as well. I had lost my appetite.

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In Potions, even Slughorn was subdued. He was not nearly as dramatic as usual when he announced we would be partnered up for Potions this year. He had already chosen the partners, and there was to be no arguing.

I could feel myself starting to hyperventilate. This was just like one of those love-hate romance novels. James and Lily would be partners, and Slughorn would probably place me with, God forbid, Sirius Black. _No!_ As if two hours in the library every day wouldn't be enough.

Slughorn cleared his throat. "Remus Lupin and Kristy Kurious. Peter Pettigrew and Mary McDonald. Lily Evans and…"

I held my breath, waiting for it.

"… Sirius Black. And Aria Colette with James Potter."

I looked over at James, who was staring worriedly at a murderous Sirius. His glare was directed at his potions partner, my best friend, who was definitely returning it. Oh God. How were we going to live through this?

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**Thanks again for reading and reviewing! Especially to this who have been sticking with me. I enjoy hearing your changing opinions. When I can win someone over, it feels great!**

**I got a little James/Lily in here, which I am sooo happy about! I can't wait to write the next one!**

**Love to you all!**


	5. Regurgitating Birds

**Hi everyone! I am so happy! As of right now, I have 13 reviews! And 13 is my lucky number! I just posted my last chapter two hours ago, so I am going to wait on releasing this one. More suspense!**

**I want to thank all my wonderful reviewers! Even when you've been harsh, you've been trying to help me be a better writer, and I really appreciate that. Your support really encourages me to keep writing!**

**All right, enough mushy-gushy-ness! We've got a story to continue!**

**Warning: Harry Potter stuff all belongs to JK Rowling. And, amazing as that may be, I am not JK Rowling. Sadly. *Sob***

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This was a disaster. I couldn't believe it. I'm not actually sure which would have been worse, Lily partnered with James or Sirius. Honestly, probably Sirius. At least James wouldn't try to murder her and maybe they could make up. Sirius, on the other hand, was shooting her death looks every few seconds. At least Lily was returning them with equal speed and strength.

"All right!" Slughorn clapped his hands together. "Please go sit next to your new partner. Yoo hoo! This is so exciting!"

I allowed myself to glower at him for a second before putting a brilliant smile on my face and heading towards James's table. I sat down next to him, scooting the chair away slightly and noting that Lily and Sirius were seated right in front of us. At least we could keep an eye on them.

"Hi James." I kept my voice soft and kind, knowing he was probably in a fragile state of mind. He turned slowly toward me, and gave me a smile that hardly fits the term.

"Hi, Aria." Poor guy. I bit my lip. I had to do something. I racked my brain and came up empty. I would have to just be my normal, cheerful self.

I chattered aimlessly as Slughorn wrote the materials on the board. "I'm so relieved. I was worried I'd be partnered with some Potions expert that would sneer at everything I did. I'm okay at Potions, and you're probably better, but imagine being partnered with Snape! He wouldn't let me do anything, and I'd just sit there, being bored, while he murmured over the cauldron. And I-"

James cut me off with a small, but genuine, smile. "Look, Aria, you don't have to try so hard. I'll be fine… eventually. I do appreciate the effort though."

I grinned back at him. "Thank God! Even I can't talk that much without combusting! One last thing, though…" I wasn't sure this was the best idea in the world, but I felt I had to do it. "Lily really does like you, I think. She has for a long time. She just doesn't want to admit it. When you… left this morning, I think I saw her crying. And she left without eating too. Which is really something because Lily never leaves without eating. She is an eat-a-holic. She even takes food on her prefect patrols. Lily not eating is like the end of the world. Really, I mean… I'm rambling, aren't I?" I blushed, a little embarrassed at just going off like that. I do that a lot in my head, but it's different to ramble out loud. You sound like a certified psycho, except if you are Dumbledore. Although, that is beside the point as he already is completely crazy. Ahem. Back to the point.

James looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh. "Ah, no. It was amusing. I wasn't aware she was such a big eater."

I nodded vigorously, encouraged by his interest. "Oh yeah! The first time we rode the train together (which was second year, just so you know), she ate three sandwiches, two apples, a large salad, two large bags of chips, plus what she bought off the candy cart. And she still managed to eat more than I did at the welcome back feast! I have no idea what keeps that girl so thin! It's not likes she's crazy tall, and she's not growing anymore. She's not pregnant, and she doesn't exercise that much… I'm stumped. What do you think?"  
James looked concerned. "Is she bulimic? Maybe she's like those birds that eat enough for them and all their offspring and then regurgitate the food into their babies mouths." I had the sudden mental picture of a Lily-bird throwing up food for her kids. I shuddered. Not a good mental picture.

Lily turned around, her face shocked and enraged. "Did I just hear you compare me to a vomiting bird, Potter?"

As always, James soaked up any attention from Lily. "Well, Aria said you ate a lot and we couldn't figure out how you keep that lovely figure of yours. Is it true? Do you really regurgitate food for your hundreds of offspring?"

Lily looked absolutely disgusted. "Of course not! I am a human, not some bird! Now, shut up before I hex you!"

It would appear that their argument had been forgotten. I mentally high-fived myself. Good work, self!

Sirius looked from the arguing couple to me, his face for once not joking. "Thanks," he said simply. "I wasn't sure he would ever cheer up."

I felt myself smile easily. Inside of me, I gasped. Did I just willingly smile at Sirius Black? The world must be turning on its head. "It was no problem, really. I can't stand seeing people sad for no reason at all."

He lifted an eyebrow. "I suppose you don't count?" He turned his back on me before I could reply. What the **hell** was he talking about? I was perfectly happy! I shook my head, reading the ingredients for the assigned potion. Sirius was obviously insane. He didn't need me encouraging him.

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The instant we got out of Potions, Lily turned on me.

"What the hell was that, Aria? The last thing I need right now is Potter asking me if I'm some regurgitating bird!" She was obviously pissed. Her green eyes were glinting with hard anger and her red hair was frizzing as she got more and more worked up.

"Calm down Lily!" I placed a hand on her shoulder. "I was just trying to cheer James up. You should have seen how dejected he was." I frowned at her, and she looked vaguely surprised. I rarely looked unhappy or upset around her, or anyone for that matter. "I can't believe that way you treated him." I could feel the anger working up through my system. No! Not good! I swiftly turned on my heel and practically ran down the corridor.

A few halls down, there was a convenient broom closet. I threw open the doors and hid. It was a familiar place to me. The soft, woody scent relaxed me. I couldn't believe I had just gotten mad at Lily. I **never **got mad at Lily. In fact, I rarely got mad at anyone but Sirius. What was happening?

Just then, someone else threw the door open. I shot to my feet and found myself face to face with Sirius Black.

He was holding the hand of a girl… ah, Mary McDonald. Mary was another Gryffindor girl in our year. She was exceptionally pretty and mostly quiet. She wasn't shy, though, and had gone out with many boys over the past four years. I hadn't known she and Sirius had a thing, but then again, Sirius had a thing for everyone.

"Oh!" I couldn't tell who had made the sound. I felt my cheeks flush at the awkwardness of the situation. Even though I hadn't been snogging anyone, it probably looked like I was waiting for someone. Sirius and Mary were obviously coming in here to snog themselves silly. Bad timing for everyone.

"Um… excuse me." I scrambled out of the closet, pushing past the new couple. I glanced back as I walked away, and was unsurprised to see them entering the broom closet as if nothing had happened. I blushed again. Soon enough the school would be swarming with rumors about how I had been stood up by some mysterious date. I would never live it down.

And why did it have to be Sirius? Even though I hated him, I seemed to see him everywhere. He always saw me at my worst and knew exactly how to push my buttons. My fists clenched as I ran to my next class. It didn't start for ten minutes, but it didn't hurt to be early. Especially seeing, as I seem to have gone crazy.

And it was only my first week.

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I reluctantly lugged myself up to the library. Sirius hadn't mentioned anything about the meeting but Lily had been going on about it all day. She had gotten over our brief spat, but she kept glancing at me with a curious expression, as if she didn't know who I really was. Which was true, if you thought about it. I tried not to dwell on that.

I chose a table near the front of the library so he couldn't try anything. Plenty of students glanced at me in surprise. I rarely visited the library, except if Lily forced me. Occasionally I came here to think, but when I did, I hid in the back.

Sirius entered ten minutes late, his hair ruffled and appearance mussed. I smiled up at him lazily. "Did you have a good snog session?"

He grinned at me, flashing his white teeth. "Actually, I did. To bad you couldn't do the same."

My smile by now was a little wooden. "I have better things to do with my time. Like homework. Which is what we should be doing right now."

Sirius snorted, leaning back in his chair. "Oh, come on. Homework is on the top of your to-do list? It makes you look like such a Lily."

I started on my Potions essay. "You say that like it's a bad thing," I said placidly. Inside, I was seething. He had just insulted my best friend!

He pushed his chair back on two legs. "What do you do when you aren't doing homework?"

I shrugged. "Hang out with friends. If I have a boyfriend, I hang out with him. I practice Quidditch, sometimes."

"You play Quidditch?" He sounded shocked, as if he thought I wasn't capable of it.

"Yeah." I tipped my quill back in my ink, but by now my attention was focused on our conversation. "I can play all the positions, but I like Beater best."

"Beater?!" His chair thudded back to all four feet. "You, Aria Colette, play **Beater**?"

I looked up at him, my eyes wide with feigned surprise. "Yeah. What of it?" I knew what he thought. He thought I was too weak and small for such a position. Everyone did at first. I always proved them wrong. Quidditch was my vent. When I couldn't contain my anger anymore, I would go out and hit a few Bludgers around. I could really use that right now.

"Nothing. I just wouldn't have pegged you for the Beater type." He kept his voice casual and neutral. I knew that trick. You had to appear disinterested. "Are you going to try out for the team this weekend?"

I had almost forgotten about tryouts. To keep him guessing, I shrugged one shoulder. "I don't know. I haven't decided."

Sirius smirked. "I dare you to."

I looked up at him, one eyebrow quirked, lips smiling softly. "You are daring me to try out for Quidditch?"

He nodded. "Yep."

I sighed. "Fine."

"That's the spirit!" He reached over and tousled my hair. I jerked back.

"Don't touch me!" My voice was coated with venom. People all around were staring. I jumped up, grabbing my bag and books. "Bye!" I practically ran out of the library, unsure who I was running from, him or myself.

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**Yay! Aria's first public display of madness! I'm thinking of doing another Sirius POV next chapter. What do you think? Tell me!**

**Please, please, please review!**

**Love you guys horribly! **


	6. Completely NonNervous

**Hi everyone! This will probably be the last chapter for a while because my family and I are going skiing! Yahoo! I'll try to post another chapter before tonight, but that might not be possible. Sorry!**

**About Sirius's POV… I'm sorry to say I couldn't really fit it into this chapter anywhere, so next chapter will start off with some Sirius love! Yay!**

**Warning: I do not own Harry Potter or anything Harry Potter related. Please see JK Rowling for that.**

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It was seven when I finally went to the Quidditch pitch. I'm there at least once a day, if not to practice, then to run. It's not easy to keep as thin as I'd like it to be. Today, I grabbed my broom and took off.

Flying. There is nothing like it. The freedom, the exhilaration are indescribable. I've been in love with it ever since I was six and my mum finally allowed me to fly. Ever since then, I'm constantly in the air.

I did a warm-up loop around the pitch and then started my really practice. I flew my broom through a series of drills, concentrating hard and throwing myself into it. I hadn't always been a good flyer. I had worked hard to get as good as I was.

When I was done with my drills, I enchanted tennis balls to fly at me. With a bat I had gotten for my twelfth birthday, I beat them away one by one, hitting targets I had set up around me. After about fifteen minutes of this, I became aware of someone watching me.

I paused my exercise briefly to look down and survey the pitch. I was shocked to see a boy with messy black hair waiting below me with a broom in hand. I spiraled down to meet him, confused as to why James Potter would want to talk to me.

"Hey!" He grinned. He was a completely different boy than the one I had sat next to this morning. It was amazing what a little arguing with Lily had done for his attitude.

"What's up?" I responded, getting off my broom and looking up at him. Why did everyone have to be so tall?

He glanced at his broom. "I was coming out to practice. I'm Chaser, you know."

"Yeah, I do." As if anyone didn't. James was an almost legendary Quidditch player. If you hadn't heard of him… you had obviously been hiding in a shell for most of your life.

He smiled at me and I couldn't see why Lily always turned him down. He smiled with enthusiasm and happiness that was completely contagious. "You should try out for the team," he told me. "I saw you up there with the bat. You were pretty amazing. Especially for your size. We've got a position for Beater open. I'm sure Sirius would let you on."

"Sirius?" I asked, even though I had already figured it out. Dang, Sirius had to be…

James looked surprised. "Oh yeah. Sirius is Team Captain. He's also our other Beater."

I shrugged, although I felt crushed. There was no way I was going to work on a team where my partner was that arrogant git. It was a real shame. I had really wanted to try out this year, after so many years of practice.

"Please," James pleaded. "You are one of the best I've seen. You'd really help our team. And you and Sirius would work great together."

I couldn't resist a face like that. "Oh, all right!" I threw my hands up in the air. "I don't know how Lily can say no when you pull a face like that!"

His hand jumped up to ruffle his hair. "You know, I've wondered that a few times myself over the years. I think she just likes me chasing her. Deep down, she's completely in love with me."

I laughed, glad to see the confident, assured James back. "I know she is. I've known it since 5th year."

His eyes shone. "Does she talk about me?"

I started walking around the pitch and James took my lead, walking at my side. "She only talks about you to complain. But she's never talked about any boy more."

"Cool!" James was looking off towards the horizon. "Someday…"

"Someday she'll be the one walking beside you, not me." I filled in, smiling up at him. I was surprised how comfortable I felt with James. All these years, it looked like I'd been missing out on a true friend. I elbowed him slightly. "Wanna play?"

He snorted. "You think you're up to it?"

I stopped walking to face him. "Is that a challenge? Because you should know I **never **back down from challenges."

He smirked. "Well then, I challenge you to a match. And I also challenge you to try out for Quidditch."

I jumped on my broom. "You are on, Potter. And you are going down!"

"Sure sure." He paused before zooming into the sky. "You wish!"

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It would appear I been dared twice to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Although I never turned a dare down, it was awfully tempting as I surveyed the crowded field. Almost every Gryffindor was there, if just to watch, along with half of the rest of the school. The line for tryouts was at least a hundred people long.

"Go on." Lily pushed me towards the line. I tried to put the signature bounce in my walk as I headed for the try out line.

James beamed when he saw me. "Aria! Great!" He pulled me aside, his face slightly apologetic. "Sorry, I didn't know it would be like this when I dared you. You don't have stage fright or anything, do you?"

I gave an un-lady-like snort before I could help myself. "Please James."

He chuckled. "Oh yeah. Most popular girl at Hogwarts. Kind of forgot."

I patted his shoulder. "It's okay. I was going to come anyway. Sirius dared me before you did."

James shook his head in disbelief. "He never told me."

I shrugged. "Most of slipped his mind." I waved good-bye to James and signed on to try out for Beater. The Beater tryouts seemed to consist mainly of girls who giggled and stared at Sirius like he was a bowl of ice cream. I sighed and chatted animatedly with the Chaser wanna-be's beside me. I think it helped them get their minds off of their nerves. Hell, it helped me get my mind off of nerves. Not that I had any. I was completely confident. There is no way that trying out for Beater and working beside Sirius Black would make me in any way nervous. I was completely fine.

"Aria Colette!" Sirius called out. I jumped to my feet and skipped down to the pitch. Sirius smirked at me. "I thought you'd chicken out."

I looked up at him through my eyelashes, returning his smirk. "I never back down on a dare." My voice was husky.

Sirius grinned, a slow, smoldering grin. "I'm glad," he said, his voice low.

I'd had enough with the mock flirting. I moved out onto the pitch and mounted my broom. I pushed off into the air.

The try out was easy enough. It was what I had practiced almost every evening. I had to hit the Bludgers at moving targets. I took the Beaters' bat and hit with every ounce of my being. I never missed.

I landed to loud applause. I could see shocked looks on many faces. Not many people knew I could play. I quickly cast a charm on my voice. Standing in the middle of the pitch, I screamed out, "THE BUNNY QUEEN REIGNS SUPREME!!!"

I put my broom over my shoulder and skipped off the field, reveling in the roaring laughter and applause. The spotlight was my best friend.

James clapped me on the back. "Good job mate!"

I gave him a swift hug. "Thanks James! I couldn't have done it without your encouragement."

Sirius strolled over, a broad grin on his face. "Congratulations Aria. I would say you made the team."

...

Damn.

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Sundays were my Cissy day. The rest of the week, I avoided most Slytherins. But on Sundays, I missed my family. So I went to the closest thing to home, the Slytherin Common Room.

"Viperiade," I informed the entrance to the Common Room. The door swung open to reveal the cool, chilly interior. I walked in and was greeted with stiff nods and cold glances. I felt all the fire in me freeze and I smiled as the anger within me was chilled.

As I walked past my childhood playmates, I couldn't help but remember my parents at home.

_My mother, Christiana Malfoy, was a cold woman. She never showed emotions that were unnecessary and spoke with cool, icy precision._

_My father, Arc Colette, was warmer, but stiff and other worldly. He spent most of his time at work and when he was home, he did not spend the time with me. It was easy to see why they were a pair. My mother was the face of the family and my father was the pocketbook. And I… I was the future._

_I was only four when my instruction began. To fit in with the other pure bloods, I had to learn to control my tongue, calm my emotions, and move with grace. My mother told me I must never show anger. When I did, she would punish me. Sometimes it was going to bed without supper. Sometimes it was being locked in the closet for a day. Sometimes it was harsher, much harsher. My 'birth mark' was a testimony to that. _

_Every Sunday, we would have our only meal together as a family. My mother would sit at one end of our long stone table and my father sat at the other. I sat somewhere in the middle, back straight and mouth shut. I wasn't to speak until spoken to._

_Sometimes my parents forgot I was even at the table. They would talk of things I probably shouldn't hear, not just the gossip of the rich and pure, but things others had done, or wanted to do, to those with dirtier blood. Imperio, Crucio, and Avada Kedavra… they were all familiar to me at a very young age. Once, I even saw them performed._

_But it was my home, and because of that, it was beautiful to me. My mother was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on and my father was all that I would ever look for in a husband of my own. I was never happier than when I was seated between them at our long stone table, and they had forgotten I was even there._

I climbed the stairs to the girl's dormitory, ridding my head of the memories. It scared me to think of how obedient and naïve I had been then. I knocked lightly on Cissy's door and it swung open in welcome. Narcissa and Nyx were sitting side by side on Cissy's bed. Both smiled slightly on seeing me. I entered and found myself where everyone had always wanted me to belong.

Cissy gave me a stiff hug. "Welcome, Aria. How are you?"

I hugged her back and then embraced Nyx. "I'm wonderful. How are you two?"

Nyx responded this time, her deep voice neutral. "We are both doing well, thank you." She paused. "I heard you auditioned for the Gryffindor Quidditch team." This time, she seemed slightly disapproving.

I nodded. "Yes. I was dared."

"Oh?" Cissy raised an eyebrow. "By whom?"

"Sirius Black, actually." I drew my legs under me on the bed. "I'm to play opposite him as Beater."

The corners of Nyx's lips turned down. "That's not quite proper, Ari. Have you told your parents? More importantly, would they, do they, approve?"

I bit my lip. The truthful answer was '_probably not._' I had no intention of saying that, though. "I haven't told them yet," I replied simply. "I actually haven't heard from them at all."

I suspected that they would disapprove more because of me playing opposite Sirius than me playing Beater. Sirius was a blood traitor, and undoubtedly they would fear I would follow in his footprints. They were certainly wrong. I would never follow him. I would, and already had, make my footprints. Although they were quite a bit smaller and harder to trace, I was quite content with them myself.

I spent the rest of my visit with Cissy and Nyx focusing on small talk. It was amazing how much we could convey by saying absolutely nothing at all. When I exited the Slytherin Common Room, I felt more like Aria Malfoy Colette than I had in a week. My brilliant, and completely false, smile came naturally now, and any anger I felt was pushed deep, deep down. I walked briskly and confidently down the halls, a bounce in my steps and the curl back in my hair. I wound a finger absent-mindedly around one gold lock as I neared the Gryffindor Common Room.

Lounging on the wall next to the Fat Lady was none other than Sirius Black. I could already feel my mood crashing. Great. Right after I was all pepped up and ready to deal, he had to come and ruin my high. Nonetheless, I smiled at him. "Hi Sirius!"

He unhitched himself from the wall and sauntered over to me. "Why do you always visit the Slytherin Common Room on Sundays?" he asked bluntly. My eyes widened.

"Wha?" I sputtered. "Do you… I mean, how… Sirius Black, please tell me you don't stalk me."

He snorted rudely. "In your dreams." I sagged in relief but startled at his next words. "Everyone knows that. It's common knowledge. And it's also common knowledge that you always come back a little more smiley and hyper than you were leaving."

I shrugged. "What can I say? Hanging out with old friends puts me in a good mood." Has anyone else noticed I've been shrugging a lot? When in the world did that happen?

Sirius growled in frustration, a low, short sound. He grabbed my wrist and dragged me into the nearest deserted classroom. Once we were inside and the door was shut behind him, he turned to face me. His eyes were molten silver in his angry face.

"What the hell, Aria?" He spat the words at me. I was completely taken aback. What had **I** done to earn **his **fury? Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around?

"Excuse me?" I was trying to be polite, and the words came out perfectly smooth and polished.

"That!" He pointed at me. "Acting like nothing hurts you. Like nothing ever even makes you mad! It's infuriating, and I'm sick of it!"

I moved back, away from him, frantic. No one had ever come close to figuring out my secret before. "Look, I don't know what you are talking about…"

"Yes, you do." He was moving in, getting closer. My back ran into the wall. I felt like a deer on the end of a hunter's crossbow.

"No…" The words were soft, not in denial anymore, but begging. "No, please." I covered my face. He was only a foot away. I could feel his breath on my face. When I bowed my head forward, my hair brushed his arm. I heard his quick intake of breath, and something inside me snapped. My head shot up and my hand flew to grab his tie, dragging his face close to mine. My eyes blazed into his.

"Don't. Tell. Anyone." I hissed, hands clenched. "If you do, I'll kill you, I swear." I pushed him away and stalked out, my feet slapping the floor.

A whisper followed me down the hall. "I was never going to."

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**Thanks so much for reading! Please review!**

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	7. Green Slime

**Hi! Sorry it's been so long. I just got back from my last ski trip of the year! Fun, fun!**

**This chapter's a little longer than usual to make up for it. I hope you enjoy. And thanks to all my reviewers, alerters and favoriters. That sounds so weird…**

**Warning: I do not own anything Harry Potter related. Just my imagination. Which isn't Harry Potter related at all…**

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**Sirius POV:**

…

That was unexpected.

Please imagine the situation for me. You've been trying for years to get this girl even the tiniest bit angry, have only succeeded once, but you have made some progress. This week, she actually got close to mad a few times. So, you're optimistic. Soon enough, you'll be done and you can forget about her and the stupid vow. But then, she goes and visits her Slytherin buddies. She comes back just as hidden as she's ever been. So you get pissed. You lose your temper and shout at her. It felt pretty good actually, after all those years of secrecy. And do you know what she does? She not only gets more pissed than you've ever seen her, but she threatens your life. How does a girl go from smiling, to pleading, to threatening in a matter of a minute? She's got serious (no pun intended) issues.

I leaned back, resting my head on the wall of the classroom. It had only been a few minutes since Aria stormed out, but I was still shocked. Who knew she had it in her? The way she looked when she pulled my face down until it was only a foot from hers, her strange periwinkle eyes sparkling with anger and fear… I had never seen her look better. For once, she was more than a pretty, happy girl. She was absolutely stunning.

Ugh! I ran my hands through my hair. I can't be thinking this. I've got to focus on the fact that I actually succeeded in making her furious with no horrible plan in place. This year I'll be spending more time with her than ever. We have study sessions planned every day after classes and we're both Beaters on the Gryffindor team. There is no way I'll lose this time.

I exited the classroom and headed for the Common Room in a cautiously optimistic frame of mind. Soon enough, I would have fulfilled that silly vow. Then I could forget all about the girl with violet blue eyes and long golden hair.

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**Aria's POV:**

I sat on my bed in the seventh year girl's dormitory, calculating my chances of avoiding Sirius Black.

Unfortunately, I had the exact same classes as him. I was on the same Quidditch team, playing opposite him. As if that weren't enough, I also had those ridiculous study sessions with him after classes. There was no way to escape the fact that there was no way for me to escape Sirius Black.

I don't know if you've ever issued a death threat before, but it can be kind of scary. At the time, you probably mean it to some degree. You'll be so freaked out by your own action that you run off like a coward and hide under your bed sheets, wishing you were Headmaster Dumbledore. No matter how much you make fun of him, Dumbledore never does anything wrong. I bet he's never made a death threat in his scarily long life.

I flopped back on my bed, pulling a pillow over my head. To be perfectly honest, the scariest thing wasn't that I lost my temper at Sirius. The scariest thing was that Sirius had figured out my secret. All those years of taunting and teasing had all been to find out this one big secret, something he could use against me. Well, I wasn't going to let him. I had worked too hard for too long to have everyone find out my flaws now. The wheels in my brain started turning and I started plotting on how to evade ruin brought down by Mr. Sirius Black.

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I had a plan. A brilliant plan.

"Aria, why are you hiding behind me?" Kristy seemed vaguely amused as I ducked behind her. My eyes focused on the Marauders as they entered the cafeteria. Kristy followed my gaze and laughed. "Are you trying to avoid the Marauders?"

Okay, maybe not so brilliant. I was going to have to move on to Plan B.

I stepped out from behind Kristy, brushing off my robes. "Of course not. I thought they were someone else."

"Who?"  
"I don't know!"

"If you are going to make excuses, you have to think them through first."

"It's not an excuse."

"Aria… please don't tell me you are crushing on my Sirius-baby."

I looked at her in horror. "Kristy, please tell me you are joking."

Kristy sighed in relief. "Sorry, Ari. You'd just be too much competition for poor little me to handle."

I rolled my eyes. "I sincerely doubt that. I think he hates me."

Kristy looked at me out of the corners of her eyes and snorted. "You have got to be kidding. His feelings for you are the exact opposite of hatred. I think it's closer to fascination."

I felt my mouth fall open. "Kristy, you're teasing me, right?"

Kristy executed a quick eye roll, not even bothering to answer. She walked faster, leaving me behind as she approached Sirius and began her morning drool fest. I kept my head down as I walked quickly to the other end of the table, where Lily was hiding from James.

"Hey," I murmured, glancing discreetly toward the Marauders to see if they'd seen me. Oh, damn! James was waving enthusiastically and heading towards us. Lily looked up and groaned.

"For once I thought he hadn't noticed me!" She straightened up, visibly preparing for the inevitable confrontation. I hid a smile behind my curtains of hair.

"Hey Aria!" James plopped down next to me and gave me a swift hug. "How's it going, Potions partner?"

"Er, good, I guess," I replied, extremely confused. He hadn't even glanced at Lily.

"Great!" He grinned widely and discreetly winked at me. Apparently, he had a plan too. "Look, practice is tonight right after dinner. I know it's not the best timing in the world, but you can make it, right?"

I sighed dramatically. "I suppose so. But please tell our beloved Captain that this better not become a habit. I don't fly well on a full stomach."

"Pity. But who does, love?" My teeth slammed together as Sirius slid into the seat on the other side of me. He smirked at me, and the glint in his eyes told me he hadn't forgotten our, er, conversation. He dug around quickly in his bag and handed me a piece of paper. Eyebrows rising, I looked at it.

"A calendar?" Who would have thought Sirius Black was organized?

"Yep." He nodded. "I had Moony figure out all the practices for the rest of the year and make these amazing schedules. Pretty nifty, huh?"

I blinked. Twice. "Did you just say 'nifty'?"

Sirius shrugged, but his cheeks colored just a little. "What is wrong with 'nifty'?"

I snickered. "Nothing, other than it hasn't been used since Dumbledore was a little baby in a baby carriage."

James looked puzzled. "I don't think Dumbledore ever was a baby in a baby carriage."

I pointed at him. "Exactly."

"Well then, its time for nifty to be, well, nifty again." Sirius declared. "From now on, I will no longer say 'cool' or 'sweet'. I will say 'nifty'."

"Good luck with that," I muttered under my breath. Lily snickered.

James looked rather in awe. "Sirius mate, that is an excellent idea. Who better than us to bring nifty back to the limelight?"

Sirius nodded authoritatively. "After all, we are some of the most popular people at Hogwarts." Then they both looked at each other, struck with an idea. I could tell it wasn't going to be a good one. Then they both looked at me.

"Oh no," I said, putting up my hands as I realized what they were getting at. "There is no way I am going to use the word 'nifty'. Unlike some people, I have a reputation I would like to keep!"

Sirius and James exchanged another of those looks. I swear, I was beginning to hate those. It made me want to pop out their eyeballs. Which I shouldn't be thinking about. No violent thoughts for me.

Suddenly, they both pounced. Sirius grabbed me around the waist and held me as James began tickling me mercilessly. I screamed with helpless laughter. "Stop! Please stop!" Tears were beginning to run down my face as I laughed.

James gave me a devilish grin. "Not until you say you'll use nifty!"

I twisted in Sirius's arms, trying to get away, but it was hopeless. "Fine!" I gasped, breathless from all my laughing. "I'll use nifty!"

James immediately stopped tickling me and Sirius released me instantly. It was then that I became aware that the entire Great Hall was watching us. I felt a hot blush rising to my cheeks.

Sirius and James were nowhere near embarrassed. Instead, James climbed on his chair and proclaimed. "Sirius, Aria, and I are from now on dedicated to bringing the word nifty back in our vocabulary! Join us in our fight for nifty-ism!"

I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. I quickly climbed onto my chair and countered, "I only did it under duress!" With that, the students began laughing, amused by both James's proclamation and my denial. I grabbed James's arm and tugged him off his seat. We both reseated ourselves and I resumed eating as though nothing had happened.

"Shit!" Sirius was riffling through his bag. "I forgot to do my Charms essay!" He looked at James. "Have you done yours mate?"

James was pale. "No! And Flitwick said if we missed another assignment, we'd get detention. We can't get detention on the first night of Quidditch practice!" They both bolted out of their chairs, racing for the library, presumably. I shook my head as I watched them go.

Across from me, Lily was sitting in shock. "He didn't even notice me…" Her voice was faint and disbelieving. She turned to me, her eyes wide. "Did you see that? He didn't say one word!" A grin spread across her face. "YES!" She got out of her chair and began dancing happily. "Potter didn't talk to me, Potter didn't talk to me," she chanted manically while dancing and smiling so wide I thought her face would crack.

I tried to hide a smile. "Um… Lily, I just think you should know that the entire Hall is watching you."

She immediately stopped dancing, looking up to see the bemused faces of all the students turned in her direction. Her face turned bright red and she grabbed my arm, pulling me out of the Hall. As I followed, I realized that both my plans had failed, and I didn't particularly mind.

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Being Potion partners with James wasn't exactly the most efficient partner ship, but it sure was fun.

"Umm…" We were both staring at our cauldron, trying to figure out how exactly we had turned our potion into green slime.

"Maybe we added the salamander at the wrong time?" James suggested weakly. A bubble in our potion popped and released the nauseating smell of cooked spinach.

"I don't know. I think we might have stirred it only ten times, instead of twenty."

"Did we stir clockwise?"

"I don't know, did we?"

"I don't remember!" There was a pause. "Which way is clockwise?"

I looked at James in horror. "You cannot be telling me that you have gone through six years of Potions and not know which way clockwise is."

James scratched his head. "It's to the right, isn't it?"

I sighed in relief, slumping back in my chair. "Thank God! Yes, it's to the right."

James leaned forward. "Look at Sirius and Lily's potion! It's perfect! And they don't even talk, they just grunt at each other."

I looked at James. "Maybe that's their secret. Maybe we need to grunt."

James looked at me doubtfully. "But I like talking."

I blew a strand of hair out of my face. "I like talking too. But I also like making potions correctly and getting a good grade." I reached forward and tugged Lily's hair. "Hey, Lily."

She turned around, somewhat irritated. She didn't like people tugging her hair. "What?"

I pointed wordlessly at our cauldron. She peered over and cringed. "What did you **do**?"

I shrugged. "We were hoping you'd tell us."

She wrinkled her nose. "Did you add the chicken teeth?"

I looked at James. He looked at me. Together, we looked at our cauldron. "Umm… I don't think we did. We needed chicken teeth?" I looked up at Lily. "What are chicken teeth?"

She threw her hands up in the air. "I don't know!"

James frowned. "I don't think we should be using ingredients if we don't know what they are."

I nodded in agreement. "That is definitely why we didn't use chicken teeth in the first place."

In the front of the room, Slughorn clapped his hands together. "I hope you are all done. Yoo hoo! Please bring your samples up to the front!"

I cautiously leaned down to scoop some of the green slime into a vial. I corked it, hoping Slughorn wouldn't open it until after we were gone. This stuff smelled vile.

I was the last to approach Slughorn with our sample. He glanced at it and his eyebrows nearly flew off his large, round head. "What is this?"

I swallowed. "Our potion, sir."

He took it from my hand, holding it cautiously. "What did you do?"

"We didn't add the chicken teeth, sir," I replied pleasantly.

He frowned at me. "Why didn't you add the chicken teeth, Miss Aria?"

I rubbed my palms on my robes. "We didn't think we should use an ingredient we didn't know about, sir."

He glowered at me. "We went over chicken teeth, and it's uses last year… I think."

I bowed my head. "I'm sorry sir, but neither James, Lily or I remembered anything about chicken teeth."

His head snapped around to look at Lily. "You didn't remember, Miss Evans?"

Lily glared at me before replying. "No, sir. I'm sorry, sir."

Slughorn scratched his head. "I must not have taught you after all." He looked at me sharply. "I will excuse your mistake this time, Miss Aria and Mister Potter. Next time, I expect you to follow instructions."

"Yes sir." I nodded and hurried back to my seat, containing my smile. It was always nice to have Lily on your side.

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I had been dreading the end of classes. When McGonagall released our class, I raced out. I could feel Sirius gaze on my back.

I ran all the way to the library, ignoring the stares I was getting. I tried to pant quietly as I wove my way through the bookshelves. I needed to hide. If Sirius couldn't find me, it wasn't my fault, was it? I had fulfilled my end of the deal. I found a secluded table in the back and hurriedly threw on an over-sized sweatshirt under my robes. I pulled the hood over my telltale hair, but strands kept escaping, desperate for freedom. After a long battle with my hair, the grey sweatshirt hood finally covered it all. I set to work, hoping Sirius wouldn't find me here.

I startled when someone slipped into the seat across from me. Damn. Sirius's silver eyes laughed at me as he said, "You weren't trying to avoid someone or something, were you?"

I swallowed, noticing a gold strand of hair hanging across my face. I pushed it back and responded, "Of course not. I was just… cold."

"Of course you were," he murmured in a low, seductive voice. I shivered and pulled my sweatshirt tighter around me.

"Um… I suppose we should get to work." It was awkward, sitting here with him, not even acknowledging that last night had happened. All my witty thoughts were gone from my head and I was left with aimless rambling. It really was unfair, what he did to me. Not that he did anything but irritate me and make me uncomfortable. He had absolutely no other affect on me. It wasn't like I thought he was attractive or anything. I mean, I do think he's attractive, but in a detached, it-doesn't-really-matter sort of way. It's just a fact. Just like the fact that I am rambling.

I tried to focus on my essay, but Sirius wasn't even bothering to pretend he was working. He was just sitting there, staring at me. His fingers were drumming against the table, and I had a sudden flash of how his fingers had felt against my waist when he had held me that morning. I felt myself blush at the memory and pushed it away. I did not need to be thinking thoughts like that.

Finally, the staring got to be too much. I looked up to meet his gaze. "Is there any particular reason you are watching me and not working?"

He shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "I've already finished all my work."

I returned to my essay. "Sure you have," I muttered to myself. Unfortunately, all Marauders have insanely good hearing and Sirius picked up on my mutterings.

I could hear the smile in his voice. "You know, for someone who is always supposed to be happy and optimistic, you sure are sarcastic."

My hand clenched. "Who says you can't be sarcastic and happy at the same time?"

"No one," he replied. "It's just that if I asked anyone else about you, sarcasm would be on their list of your traits."

I looked up at him with the biggest, brightest fake smile possible. "And this is your business how?"

He looked at his hands. "It's been my business since 5th year."

I set down my quill. We were getting into dangerous territory. "So, you've made it your business to practically stalk me since 5th year?"

He looked up at me, his face absolutely emotionless. "Stalk is a rather strong word for it."

I pushed the hood off my head and shook my hair out. "What would be an appropriate word?"

He looked at the ceiling. "Observe. I simply observed you when you were around."

My voice shook was I asked, "Why?"

He shrugged again. "I thought it was kind of interesting that a girl could appear so perfect, especially when she's not."

I jerked my chin up, my jaw set in a familiar expression. Stubborn was the word that would currently describe my face. "Who says I'm not perfect?"

Sirius snorted. "I do. And you do."

I gathered my books together. "While this has been very interesting, I actually have work to get done. I don't need these cryptic little conversations. Just tell me what you want Sirius."

He stood up and leaned towards me, his palms flat on the table. "I want you to stop hiding. I want you to be yourself. I think you'd find you'd be a lot happier."

I looked up into his silver eyes. They weren't teasing or smug. He seemed more intent than anything. I looked at the ground. "Why do you care?" I whispered.

He looked shaken. "I have absolutely no idea." In a whirl of black robes, he walked away. I stood frozen, watching him go.

I sighed, and then hurried after him. "Oi! Sirius! Wait up!" He wanted me to say what I thought? Well, he was going to get his wish.

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**I hope you enjoyed it! A little attraction going on! And Aria is chasing after him… for what? Hee hee! So much fun!**

**Please, please, please review! Thanks to all of you who do review every chapter, I love you guys! You know who you are!**

**The next chapter will be up soon! Thanks for reading!**

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	8. I'm not afraid of you!

**Hi! Sorry for the cliffhanger last time! I hope I was fast enough for you, Snoball13! I want to thank Snoball13 and I Love Sirius Black 123 who have been excellent reviewers! You guys are wonderful!**

**I'll try and get the next chapter up tonight, but it probably won't happen! Sorry!**

**Warning: I do not own Harry Potter. I do not even own Dumbledore and his amazing sexiness. *Weeps quietly in the corner***

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Sirius paused, turning back to look at me. I wasn't surprised to see the smug, nonchalant expression back on his face. This was Sirius Black, after all.

"You need something Aria?" His tone was polite, but slightly mocking. I placed a hand on his arm to steady myself. I had flat out sprinted to catch him all the way through the library, and out into the hall. He had turned so suddenly I had almost run into him.

The hallway was deserted, just the two of us standing there. I didn't even really know why I had run after him. I had wanted to kill him, wanted to give him a piece of my mind. Focus Aria. You can't get mad like this.

"It's nothing," I responded, my voice light and polite. "I just wanted to tell you that our little study sessions aren't really necessary anymore. I think I've gotten the hang of actually doing my essays ahead of time. I don't want to waste your time."

"Coward." My head shot up and I saw Sirius smirking, with disdain in his eyes.

"What did you just call me?" My voice was piercing, higher pitched than normal. I couldn't believe my ears.

"Coward." He drew out the word, enunciating each sound perfectly. "You're just afraid of me."

"Am not!" I stomped his foot and heard his satisfying intake of breath. Normally, at this point I would run away, frightened by my own actions. But today I was burning with pent up fury. "I am in no way afraid of **you**!"

He glared at me, hostile and unfriendly. "Then what are you afraid of?"

The words came to my mind instantly. _Afraid of me. Afraid of the way you make me react. Afraid of how you destroy all my self control with one arrogant look._ But I didn't say any of them. I just shot him a withering glare. "Don't come to the library tomorrow expecting me. I won't be there." I brushed by him, and my hair seemed to cling to him, lingering long after I had passed by.

I was getting in far too deep with Sirius. I could feel already. I was becoming snappier, not nearly as hyper or joking as I had been when I got on the Hogwarts Express. I needed to get away from him, spend more time with the people who really counted. Lily and Kristy… I had seen so little of them. I hadn't talked to Rayne since the train ride. And it would appear now I had James as a friend as well.

So, I came up with Plan C. Avoid Sirius, and when he is around, stick to James. They are rarely separated, so it shouldn't be a problem. If Sirius talks to you, ignore him mostly. Respond verbally only when necessary and cut off conversations. I nodded my head. Yes, my plan would work perfectly.

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"Yes, dinner time!" Kristy leapt up in the air, punching her fist towards the sky. Lily and I exchanged looks. There was only one reason Kristy would be so eager for dinner.

"You are sitting with Sirius, aren't you?" Lily asked, her voice that of an indulgent parent.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes!" Kristy gushed. "He asked me, **me**, to sit with him. He said you guys could sit with him and his friends too."

The look Lily and I exchanged this time was more horrified than amused. "No thanks!" I blurted out. "I had to put up with enough Sirius at our little study group today. No more, thank you!"

Lily and Kristy looked at me with open mouths. I shifted slightly, looking at my feet. This was the first time I'd even come close to admitting I disliked someone. Might as well go all the way.

"I actually don't like Sirius all that much. He kind of… irritates me." Which was completely the truth. It was just understated. He didn't just irritate me. He made me want to kill him.

A slow grin was spreading over Lily's face. "Hallelujah! I'm not the only one!" She grabbed my arms and spun me around. "Aria doesn't like the Marauders, Aria doesn't like the Marauders!"

I giggled, getting dizzy as Lily and I spun in circles. "Well, I like Remus and James. But I don't like Sirius at all and Peter's kind of creepy. Ah!!!" We tumbled apart, lying breathless on the floor, giggling. Kristy flung herself next to me and gave me a quick hug.

"I'm so glad you don't like him, darling! Way too much competition!" I giggled, shoving at her. Typical Kristy. It was always about her obsession with Sirius.

The whole Common Room was staring at us. Mary McDonald stepped forward, her expression reluctantly hopeful. "You don't like Sirius, Aria?"

I pushed myself to my feet in what I hoped was a graceful manner. "That's right." Within five minutes, the whole school would know. God, the gossip!

She beamed at me. "I always knew you were all right!" All of a sudden, girls were swarming around me, cheering and picking me up to carry me on their shoulders. I was carried out of the Common Room, down the many flights of stairs, and into the Great Hall. All the while, the girls carrying me were shouting at the top of their lungs, "ARIA DOESN'T LIKE SIRIUS!!!" Apparently, I had been considered big competition, especially since I had become a Beater.

Everyone was staring at my bearers and me as they walked down the aisle to the Gryffindor table. They set me down at my usual seat, hugging me and patting my head, which was in easy reach for most of them. They left room next to me for Lily and Kristy, who had just caught up, but sat scattered around me. I had always been popular, but never to this extent. Several girls were talking to me at the same time.

I leaned to my right to whisper to Kristy. "I didn't know I was considered such a threat! Why didn't you tell me?"

She shrugged. "I was afraid you would confess you were in love with Sirius or something. Couldn't risk it."

I gave her a swift hug around the waist. "I would never! But your lover boy is staring rather dejectedly in your direction. Weren't you supposed to sit with him?"

"Oh!" She jumped clumsily to her feet. "Thanks Aria!" She patted my head and skipped off to where the Marauders were staring open mouthed at our clump. I held my head high. Sirius had wanted me to be open and honest; well, I was, wasn't I?

Lily was talking animatedly beside me. "I had always wondered, you know. He was always picking on you; I knew you had to feel something about it. I'm just so glad you told us!" She leaned her head on her hand as she looked at me. "I'm assuming you ended those study sessions."

I nodded guiltily. "Yeah. Sorry."

She patted my hand. "It's okay. We can study together."

I beamed at her. "Lily, I love you! I'm going to become lesbian so we can be together."

She tried to hide her smile. "You know, that sounds like a surprisingly good idea. No more having to put up with boys like Potter!" We both glanced at him. He was looking in our direction and once he caught my gaze, he made a beckoning motion. Oh yeah. Quidditch.

I stood up. "My love, I must leave you!" I declared dramatically. The girls around me giggled. I kissed Lily on the cheek, a friendly gesture that helped our charade, and skipped out of the Hall. In my mind's eye, I envisioned Lily sitting behind me, shaking her head and helping herself to more mashed potatoes while the whole Hall stared at her. Between Lily and myself, we were used to attracting attention.

James caught up to me before the changing rooms. He looked pretty worried. "Is Lily a lesbian? Are you?" He asked bluntly.

I quirked an eyebrow. "Are you crazy?"

He twisted his hands together, looking at his feet. "Well, it's just that… after you left, she did this fanning thing with her hand and gazed kind of dreamily after you. All the girls were giggling like it was some big joke or something. And then you were declaring your love and-"

I cut him off. "James, it was a joke. Lily and I were fooling around. Don't freak. We're both straight."

He sagged with relief. I patted his shoulder affectionately. "Come on, lover boy. Let's go get ready for practice."

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I had never played on a Quidditch team before, so I was pretty unsure what to do. I stuck to James like glue most of the time. When we got out to the pitch, Sirius took charge.

"Okay, I know most of us have played together before, but I want to just go around the circle and introduce ourselves. Say your name, your position, what year you're in and what color knickers you are wearing." The last statement was met with giggles from all the girls and snickering from the guys. I flipped my hair back. I wasn't going to let Sirius faze me.

"I'll start," Sirius said. He seemed to consider for a second. "I'm Sirius Black. I'm a Beater. I'm also your Team Captain. I'm in my 7th year and I'm wearing white knickers." He nodded at James. "You next."

James grinned. "I'm James Potter. I'm a Chaser. I'm also in my 7th year and I'm wearing blue knickers with little white dogs on them." Two girls who were standing on the other side applauded. James winked at them. "You two next."

The redhead smiled seductively. "Hi, I'm Maxie Roberts. I'm in my 6th year and I'm also a Chaser. I'm wearing passion red knickers." A blonde boy next to Sirius let out a hoot of approval. Maxie, her friend, and I all looked at him. Maxie pointed. "You next!"

He grinned lazily. "I'm Rick Smith and I'm the Keeper. I'm in my 6th year as well and I'm wearing green knickers with white polka dots." Sirius and James let out wolf whistles at the same time and all three boys cracked up. Rick pointed at a small, shy looking boy on the other side. "You're up, newbie."

The boy looked at his feet as he muttered. "I'm Alfred Gawkboks, I'm in my 3rd year, and I'm a Seeker." He didn't continue, and Rick grinned rather maliciously at him.

"You didn't finish, Gawkboks." I frowned at Rick. It would appear I'd found another person I just could not stand.

Alfred shifted. "Uh… I don't see the point of saying which color knickers I'm wearing."

Sirius sent a sparkling grin at him. Alfred looked a little stunned. "It's to help people loosen up and feel comfortable with each other. Now speak up and tell us."

Alfred blushed and said very fast, "I'm-wearing-plaid-knickers!"

Everyone clapped, and James patted Alfred on the back. "That's the spirit!"

Alfred seemed a little more confident as he pointed at Maxie's friend. "You're up."

The brunette tossed her hair. "I'm Amelia McKeon. I'm a Chaser. I'm in my 6th year. And I'm wearing bright yellow knickers!" She looked at me. "Your turn Aria. Although everyone probably knows who you are."

I grinned at her. I remembered her and Maxie vaguely from the group of girls who had carried me tonight. Apparently they were Sirius fans. "I'm Aria Colette. I'm in my 7th year and I'm Beater. I am currently wearing blue knickers with white paw prints on them."

"Excellent!" Sirius clapped his hands together. "All right! This season, we've got a great team and we are going to kick some butt. Especially snake butt!" Everyone let out a cheer. I inspected my nails. "Any questions?" No one spoke up. "Okay, let's get going! I want to see how we work together as a team, all right? Let's go, now!" He kicked up into the air, and we followed him. My hair was loose around my shoulders and funneling around me like a hurricane.

"Aria!" I looked up to see Sirius tossing me a bat. I caught it reflexively and allowed myself to briefly glare at him. Amelia saw me glaring and swooped by with a grin. I grinned right back. I was going to like these girls.

"All right everyone!" Sirius shouted. "LET'S PLAY!!!" I immediately began searching for the Bludgers. I nudged my broom towards one, using my knees. I always think you have to be the best flier if you're a beater, because you have this huge bat in your hands. It can be a real hassle.

All of a sudden, Sirius was at my side. "Right now, just hit at these moving figures." I looked up to see cardboard cut outs flying around. "You've also got to keep the Bludgers away from our people, got it."

"Yeah." I put all the hostility I could into my voice. The more mean I was, the less angry I was inside. Who would have known?

"Hey!" With his free hand, he caught my chin. "I don't care how you feel about me, out here on the Quidditch field, we are partners. You've got to put that hostility aside."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Sirius."

He nodded. "Good." He released my face and zoomed away. I groaned and headed towards a Bludger. Hopefully I'd get to hit him with one.

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I stayed out on the pitch a little longer than normal. Team practice had been tough. I had never had to really defend anyone before. I definitely needed the extra practice because Sirius had been kicking my butt.

It was a little before curfew when I returned to the Common Room. It was surprisingly crowded for so late at night. Everyone seemed to be staring at something and several girls were crying. I made my way through the crowds, hoping to see what was going on. I finally pushed my way to the front and froze.

Because Sirius Black was snogging the life out of Kristy Kurious.

I guess she finally got that kiss.

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**Oops… it's another cliffhanger, isn't it? I think I'm getting addicted…**

**Please review!**

**Love you all! The next chapter will be up tonight or tomorrow!**


	9. Stalkerish obsession

**HEY!!! Since last chapter I sent a shout out to Snoball13 and I Love Sirius Black 123, this chapter I would like to name a few other loyal supporters! So here are my thanks to teamfred, music girl, and a new reviewer, mariannavdbilt! You are all fabulous, and I send you internet-cookies! *Throws cookies into the air* I hope you all like chocolate…**

**Warning: No amount of role-playing will make me JK Rowling, sadly. I do not own anything Harry Potter related but my books and stuffed Hedwig doll. Isn't it cute!**

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It wasn't the first time I had watched as Sirius snogged another girl. But it was only the second time it had hurt me.

The first time it had hurt me because he was snogging another girl. This time it was because he was snogging my best friend. I covered my mouth and backed away, feeling sick to my stomach. I ran into my dormitory, unseen by anyone. Thank God for that. They would have thought all sorts of things that weren't true.

Kristy, poor, poor little Kristy. I knew from experience just how ruthless and faithless Black could be. Black, I called him Black. I hadn't called him Black since 5th year.

I lay facedown on my head, hands covering my hair. I could feel the memories tugging me back to 5th year and all the pain that had gone along with it.

_I skipped happily down the deserted halls, not at all concerned about getting caught. I had done this many times before. I paused before The Classroom, the one I'd been meeting him in for the past two weeks. I pushed the door open and was unprepared for what I saw._

_He was locked in the embrace of another girl, his hands woven in her long, dark hair. His mouth was moving furiously against hers and her hands were under his shirt. I gasped out loud._

_He must have heard me, because he pulled away from the girl, whom I noticed vaguely had dark teddy bear eyes and Asian features. She looked startled and bewildered. She obviously hadn't known he was with me. I forgave her._

_I could not forgive him. I pointed accusingly at him. "What the hell was that?" I was shaking with fury._

_His expression was emotionless; he did not look at all ashamed. "What did you expect?" he asked. "That I would stay with you? You're worthless, nobody. You aren't worth my time."_

_The fragile lies I had constructed tumbled down. I stalked up to him and slapped him across the cheek. That surprised him._

_"I hate you, Black." My soft voice trembled with anger. "Never come near me again!" I ran out, putting all my pain and anger into my feet, speeding me across the ground. I hid in a broom closet, my usual escape. Within a minute, I heard soft footsteps. I braced myself, expecting Sirius._

_Instead, it was the girl that opened the door. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I didn't know."_

_I wiped my eyes. "It's okay. He's just cheating scum." I cocked my head to look more closely at her, trying to distract myself. "Who are you?"_

_She stuck out a hand. "I'm Rayne Hale. I'm a Ravenclaw. You're Aria Colette."_

_"Yeah." I shook hands with her. "Wanna come in?"_

_She smiled, but it was a weak, sad smile. "Sure. We can bemoan our fates together."_

_I scrubbed at my face. "I feel so stupid. I should have known."_

_"Yeah."_

_For a few minutes, we were silent. I suspect she was crying and I know I was._

_"We've got to tell people." Rayne's voice was determined. "Girls have got to know what a cheater he is."_

_"No!" Rayne looked at me questioningly. "I couldn't bear the shame. And no one would ever believe us. They all idolize him."_

_Her shoulders sagged. "You're right, I guess." She was silent for a few beats and then said, "Do you think we could be friends? You're the only one I can share this with."_

_I had never thought I'd be friends with the girl my boyfriend cheated on me with. But it didn't seem so strange at the moment. "Sure. We can be friends."_

_In the same night, I lost my boyfriend but I also found a best friend. In a lot of ways, it was worth it. _

_I guess._

Tears trailed down my cheeks as I relived the experience. No matter what he said or did, Sirius had hurt me so, so badly. And Rayne too. And now Kristy. And I couldn't do anything to stop it.

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**Sirius POV:**

I have no idea why I kissed Kristy. It was an instinctual thing, completely random.

…

Okay, I am totally lying.

I did it because… God, this is hard to say. I did it because of Aria. I did it because of the way she looked at me during Quidditch practice, a mixture of disdain and hate. I did it because I got mad at myself for hurting her back in 5th year. Even if my stupid 'plan' worked, I hurt her feelings. She's never going to forgive me. Which is very upsetting when you are falling for her.

Yes, I said it. I am falling for Aria Colette. I should have seen it coming. All these years of patiently watching her. All these years of knowing everything about her. All these years of practically stalking her. Of course I was going to fall for her eventually.

I realized it out there on the Quidditch field, when she finally let loose her animosity. When I caught her face with my hand, I was startled by how I felt. I wanted to lean in and kiss her. I wanted to kiss her, silly, vain, hiding Aria Colette. Gorgeous, stubborn, sarcastic, Aria Colette.

When I got back to the Common Room, I was in a bad mood. Because the one time I had kissed her before, I had followed it with instantly cheating on her. There was no way I had a chance. I needed a distraction and I needed one fast. It was either Fire Whiskey or a girl. When Kristy Kurious practically threw herself at me, I took the opportunity.

I could have pulled her out for a snog in a broom closet. But I wanted to hurt Aria just as badly as she was hurting me. Yes, it was childish and immature. But I was tired, I was mad, and I had just discovered I was falling for a girl who didn't want anything to do with me. That can make a man a little crazy.

I didn't see her when she came in, but James told me later that she looked like she was going to puke. I wasn't stupid enough to take this the wrong way. She was merely upset for her friend. She was right to be. But I wouldn't hurt Kristy. I'd be a perfect gentleman. I'd go out with her for a few weeks and then politely dump her. And all the while, I would torture myself by getting close to Aria. If she sat with Kristy, I'd be sitting only a few seats from her. I played Quidditch with her and I had classes with her. It would be beyond easy. And beyond painful.

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**Aria's POV:**

I had a choice. And it wasn't an easy one.

In route one, I could be the good girl. I could stick with Kristy. I could sit next to Sirius at mealtimes and be polite. I could listen to her gushing and pretend it didn't hurt to see her with him. I could wait until he broke her heart and hold her when she cried. I could watch her become more silent and waste away as her broken heart ate her from the inside out. I could stand by and let events play themselves out.

In route two, I could be the upset bitch of a friend who stands on the sidelines and shouts, "What the hell do you think you're doing!" The one who ends up being right. I could show all of my disdain for Sirius and try to talk Kristy out of it, without telling her, of course. She wouldn't believe me. I could try to break them apart, no matter how much my friendship with her suffered. I could hurt her in a different way.

So, I had a choice. And it wasn't an easy one.

Route one was tempting. I would be so easy to play the good girl, the good friend. After all, I had played that role my whole life. But I wasn't sure I could stand by while Kristy fell deeper and deeper in love, while he remained uncaring. On the other hand, the bad girl held a strange allure. I had never been that before, but it seemed more me, honestly. I wouldn't just stand by while Kristy made a bad choice. I would try my hardest to talk her out of it. She came before me.

Decision made, I looked over at Kristy's bed. It was five minutes before we usually woke up. I had been up most of the night, trying to decide what to do, envisioning satisfying scenarios that mostly ended up with Sirius dead. I imagined strangling him with my bare hands… stabbing him in the back with a knife… kissing him with poisoned lips…

The last possibility was something I would rather poison myself than do. I had had my Sirius snog, and it hadn't left me wanting more. Well, at the time it did, but I was just a silly infatuated 5th year. I've been snogged many times since, and, let me tell you, Sirius is way overrated.

I clambered over to her, shaking her awake. She opened her eyes with a moan. "Aria, what are you doing?"

I settled down on her bed, relishing the sensation. This may well be the last time we talked as friends. "I just wanted to talk to you before the others were up."

She pushed herself up on her elbows. "So talk."

I looked into her eyes as I talked, trying to impress the sincerity of my words. "I don't think you should go out with Sirius Black."

Her eyes flew wide open. She was definitely awake now. "Why not?" she challenged me, defiance already seeping into her tone.

I rubbed my hands over my eyes. "You've heard what he's like."

"Yeah. Excellent. What of it?"

I rolled my eyes. "No. I mean, how he'll hook up with girls and broom closet and forget their name the next day. He'll go out with a girl for a week and get bored and dump her. And worse, he's cheated. Multiple times."

Kristy shook her head. "Those are just rumors, the cheating. He's never cheated on anyone." She sounded so confident. It broke my heart. "And he only got bored because the girls were boring. I can keep him amused, interested. He likes me. If he didn't, he wouldn't have snogged me last night."

I tried to restrain a groan. "Look, Kristy, he snogs plenty of girls just to snog. I don't know why he wants to be with you suddenly, but it can't be good. Leave him alone."

Kristy frowned, plainly irritated. "What I don't know is why you woke me up early for this. I can take care of myself. And Sirius won't hurt me. He loves me. He wants me. Maybe the problem here is jealousy."

I gasped, hurt that she would assume that was the case. "Kristy, I hate him! I want him dead! And I certainly don't want one of my best friends going out with him and hurting herself!"

I seemed to have finally gotten through to her. She flung her arms around me, patting my head. "Aria, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have assumed…" She pulled back to look me in the eyes. I knew then that I hadn't changed her mind. "It's still odd to me that you can even dislike someone, let alone Sirius. Every girl but Lily wants him. And now you. It can be hard to think differently." She smiled at me, a little sad, but genuine. "If you don't like him, I won't make you put up with him. But I won't let this put an end to our friendship. I'll eat with him sometimes, and sometimes with you. And I'll still hang out with you and Lily. Don't worry. 'Kay?"

I couldn't help it. I hugged her back, slipping back into my automatic good girl, good friend role. She honestly loved him, and who was I to deny her a chance? Maybe she would change him. I earnestly hoped so. Otherwise, her heart was as good as broken.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

There is no worse way to start the morning than to walk into the Great Hall and see one of your best mates locking lips with Sirius Black. It was really disgusting. She was practically sitting on him and they were twined together, no part of them not touching. I quickly averted my eyes and saw Lily scrambling away from the couple and coming towards me. Sensing Lily's absence, Kristy pulled away from Sirius and looked up at me.

"Hey Aria!" She waved a hand, grinning widely. Her face was flushed with happiness and she seemed to be glowing. I had always thought the signs of love had been exaggerated, but Kristy seemed to contradict me in every way.

I waved back, a little amused. Although I was still worried for her, it was funny to see Kristy actually snogging Sirius. They made such an odd couple, one the epitome of sexiness and one the school fan girl. Kristy seemed content with my wave and turned back to Sirius. He was now eating, however, and watching me out of the corners of his eyes. I shot a glare at him and turned to survey the rest of the Hall.

Lily finally reached my side. "I'm not sure I can even sit at the same table as them. It's nauseating. I can't eat with that going on only a few feet away. Do you have some Hufflepuff friends we can sit with?"

At that moment, I spotted Rayne at the far end of the Ravenclaw table. She was looking at me with memories and empathy shining in her teddy bear eyes. My mind was made up. I turned to Lily. "You wouldn't mind sitting with Rayne, would you?"

Lily wrinkled her nose. "If I must."

"You must." I grabbed her hand and dragged her over to where Rayne was sitting. I sat next to Rayne and Lily chose the seat across from me. "Hi Rayne!" I chirped, before collapsing forward.

"Aria? Is something wrong?" Rayne's gentle voice was more amused than concerned.

I rolled my head to look at her. "I just saw one of my best mates exchanging saliva with Sirius Black. How am I supposed to feel?"

She giggled. "Overjoyed? She has been mooning over him since forever."

I sat up, my eyes wide and mocking. "But now it will be worse! Instead of just daydreams, I have to hear about actual events! How horrid is that?"

She patted me on the back. "I'm sure you'll survive. When you need to get away, just come to the Ravenclaw Common Room. Knock, and I'll let you in."

I grinned at her. "Thanks! Does that apply to Lily too?"

She frowned and reluctantly turned to Lily. "I suppose you can come too Evans."

"Thanks but no thanks," Lily sniffed. "Things would have to be really bad for me to resort to that."

"Lovely! I get Evans all to myself!" I couldn't help the grin that spread over my face. James sat down next to me and gave me a quick hug. "Hi, Aria."

" 'Lo, James. May I ask why we have the honor of your company?" It was so easy to joke and stay happy around James. No wonder Lily was head over heels for him. I wonder why she bothers being in denial.

"I'm allergic to other people's romances," he told me matter-a-factly. "I almost broke out into a rash over there."

I glanced skeptically at Kristy and Sirius. "I wouldn't call that romance. More like 'lust'."

James whistled. "That's harsh!"

I shrugged. "I pride myself on stating things truthfully and bluntly."

He raised his eyebrows. "So… If I asked you what you thought of my best mate and Kristy's 'romance', you would say…?"

I stabbed a piece of ham with my fork. "I'm glad Kristy's happy, but I think she could do much, much better."

"Oh! Burn!" James looked mildly impressed.

I was curious. "What would you say?"

James looked up at the ceiling. "I think it's weird that he suddenly took a fancy to her after all these years. He hasn't said a thing to me, which worries me. He's also pretty flighty in relationships, so I fear for the poor girl. She's absolutely devoted to him. Even if he dumps her nicely, she'll take it hard."

I nodded solemnly. "Yeah, she will." I considered for a moment before stating. "It's one of those relationships that is doomed to be more passionate on one side. At this point, at least."

James narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to say something?"

I smiled sweetly at him. "Well, your relationship with Lily is another I'd put in that category."

He looked offended. "Are you saying my Lily-flower does not love me just as passionately as I love her?"

"Ew!" Lily certainly did make great use of her extensive vocabulary.

"I would say that you don't so much 'love' her as have a stalker-ish obsession with her." I tossed a strawberry in my mouth."

"Aria! You've wound my tender heart!" James put on a tragically sad expression. Around us, people were snickering. Lily was looking smug.

"If it makes you feel better, I would say Lily doesn't really hate you. Rather, she enjoys your consistent attention and devotion."

Lily looked aghast and was sputtering angrily. Rayne looked highly entertained. Now, James looked smug.

"You enjoy my attentions, do you, my Lily?" He smirked at her across the table. I would have to make it a point to tell him that was not the way to win her eternal love.

Lily seemed to be beyond words. Instead, she grabbed her cup and dumped all of her water over James head. The Great Hall burst into laughter as James was instantly soaked. He took it well, the silly grin still plastered on his face. I was pretty sure this was the seventh time Lily had dumped some sort of liquid on James. And seven is a very magical number.

James stood up, shaking the water off himself. "If you wanted to see me wet so badly, Lily-flower, you only had to ask."

Lily snarled something inaudible before storming out. Surprisingly, Rayne followed her, obviously expecting me to do the same. I lingered for a moment beside James. "Just a tip," I stage whispered, "You might want to avoid teasing Lily until you are a little more friendly with her. She only takes teasing from Kristy and I."

James grinned. "Point taken, but probably ignored. I enjoy teasing my Lily-flower. It's part of the fun."

I rolled my eyes and followed after my tempestuous, redheaded friend.

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**Ah! That was so much fun! I decided to not have a cliffhanger this time, because I don't know when I'll be able to get the next chapter up! I'm in a play this week, which is beyond exciting! Other than books, theater is my life!**

**Please, please, please review! I love hearing from all of you!**

**Cookies and hearts! Or maybe heart shaped cookies? Or cookie shaped hearts?**

**Oh, and BTW, mariannavdbilt, I want Sirius and Aria to snog too. They are certainly taking their time about it!**


	10. Humpty Dumpty

**Oi! Sorry for the long wait for the update! Hey, I rhymed!**

**Anyhow, here it is! It's a little short, but a lot happens, so I hope you are happy. Lots of dialogue.**

**In regards to the question about Rayne being Cho's mom; you are very astute. Rayne is related to Cho. However, she is not her mother. She is her aunt. But very close! And nice job!**

**Warning: I do not own Harry Potter or any related stuff. I'm too tired to add anything else…**

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By the time I reached her, Lily was already in full steam.

"That bastard! That nasty, arrogant, conceited git! Who does he think he is? He's just James Potter! That's synonymous with nobody! No one likes him! No one even thinks he's funny! He hasn't even gone out with anyone!"

I couldn't help but interrupt her rant. "Lily, that is because he's tragically in love with you."

Rayne commented in a soft, detached voice. "He has always said he is saving his lip virginity for you."

I sighed. "No matter how much the rest of us would love to be his first kiss, he won't settle for anyone but you."

"I personally say that the reason Sirius gets around so much is to make up for his best mate's lack of relationships." As always, Rayne made too much sense.

"You have to think it's sort of sweet," I prodded. I was rewarded with the softening of Lily's face.

"I guess," she said reluctantly. "But he is still an annoying pest!"

I slung an arm around her shoulders, which was a bit uncomfortable. She was a lot taller. I was standing on my tiptoes. "You don't have to love the boy. Just try and tolerate him for my sake. We're friends."

"Really?" Rayne looked up from her fingers to peer at me. "I didn't know you and James were chums."

I shrugged, removing my arm from Lily's shoulders. "It's a new thing."

"Huh."

There was an awkward silence. Lily rarely ranted in front of anyone that wasn't Kristy or I. Rayne tried not to even acknowledge Lily.

"Ahem." Lily cleared her throat. "I suppose I will be spending a lot of time with you Hale."

Rayne inclined her head. "Most likely."

"Then, I suggest we clear the air and try to get along. If we can't do that, at least be polite." Lily looked like she was struggling with her pride the whole time she spoke.

Rayne tilted her head, purposely making Lily uncomfortable. "I suppose we could try. For Aria's sake."

Snort. As if.

30 minutes later…

"And then, he said-" Lily leaned in to whisper something in Rayne's ear and they both burst into laughter. We were sitting by the lake, under my favorite tree. I was working on my DADA essay, which they had already finished. In fact, they had already finished everything. I had asked not to be disturbed when I worked, seeing as my focus was horrible anyways. Left with nothing else to do but study, they had begun talking to each other. It had been fifteen minutes, and Lily was already confided some of her most cherished memories. I smiled to myself. They were obviously getting along fabulously.

"Darlings!" My head shot up to see Kristy swooping down on us, lanky as ever and breathless. I quickly observed that her lips were puffier than usual and her smile held an extra something. There was a small patch on her robes where her leader's badge for Sirius's fan club had resided, but it was now gone. By dating Sirius, she had forfeited her membership. I had always thought it was an interesting rule, but I guessed it would cause too much ill will.

"Where's Sirius?" Lily asked nonchalantly, leaning back against the tree. Kristy apparently found nothing odd about the fact that Lily was whispering to Rayne Hale, who had previously been her rival and enemy.

"He's with the Marauders. They are going to be down in a bit, I think. I decided to take the opportunity to spend time with you lovely ladies." She collapsed on the ground, fanning herself with a hand. "It's a lot of work, being Sirius's girlfriend. Three girls have attacked me already!"

I automatically went into friend-protection mode. "They didn't seriously hurt you, did they?" Any girlfriend of Sirius tended to end up in the Hospital Wing several times a week. Great. Another thing to worry about.

Kristy shook her head, braids flying. "No, actually. I managed to fend them off. I'm tough and I know their tricks."

"You would, being one of them," Rayne interjected. She looked at Kristy in distaste. Neither of us approved of the whole Sirius worshipping club for obvious reasons.

Kristy looked at her mildly. "Yes, I did my fair share of attacks. But the other girls didn't deserve him."

Rayne rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to make some vicious retort, but was interrupted by a shout from behind us. We turned to look and I found myself being tackled by a tall figure with messy black hair. I fell back, my attacker landing beside me, on his face. I looked over to see James Potter grinning at me, dirt smudged on his nose. "Hi Aria."

A grin spread over my face. James just has that affect. "Hi James. Any reason for the enthusiastic greeting?"

"How could I not be enthusiastic to see my favorite girl?"

I pushed myself up, dusting off my clothes. "I thought Lily was your favorite girl."

Surprisingly, James was not flustered by the remark. He didn't so much as glance at Lily; his eyes instead were directed at me with a kind of reproach. "Lily flower is the love of my life. You are my favorite girl. It is a completely different thing."

I tried to keep from smiling. "Of course. You mean love is irrational and, as a friend, you like me better."

"Precisely." He sat up to point at me. "You nailed it."

Lily looked rather affronted. "Are you saying you don't like me as a person?"

"No, not at all!" James hurried to assure her, a dopey grin on his face. "I just like Aria better as a **friend**."

Lily seemed pacified by that and I saw Rayne holding back laughter. Lily hadn't realized her slip. If she really hated him, she wouldn't care what he thought of her. I could see the flowers blooming in James's eyes.

Just then, the rest the Marauders arrived. Pettigrew was panting, his face red and sweaty. Remus looked cool and ridiculous relaxed, as usual. I envied his perfect poise, something I could never pull off. Sirius… well, I tried not to look at him at all. From a quick glance, he looked tired. Not a normal emotion for a teenage boy with a new girlfriend. If I had cared, I might have wondered what was wrong.

He glanced from James to Lily to me. I was sitting very close to James, our knees touching. I realized how it must look and scooted away slightly, my face flushed.

I just want to clarify quickly. There is nothing between James and I. We are merely good chums who enjoy flirting jokingly. He is completely devoted to Lily and I am not interested in a relationship or him.

"Sirius!" Kristy leaped up and threw her arms around Sirius. I noted with a sick feeling in my stomach the possessive way his arms went around her and how comfortable she looked in his lap when they sat down. I felt even worse when Kristy shone with devotion and Sirius looked vaguely bored, staring off at some girls at the other end of the lake. My fist clenched around the grass at my feet and I ripped it up.

James tugged my hair after a few minutes of awkward silence. Our groups didn't normally mix. Lily hated James and I hated Sirius, so it made for uncomfortable get togethers. Now, I couldn't think of anything to say. James, apparently, was sick of it.

"Aria," he said loudly, "There's a practice tonight. Are you ready for Sirius to whoop you again?"

I glared at him. "I stayed a little late last night, working on it. I think the more I practice the easier it will be for me to get used to defending other people and not just hitting. In no time, I'm sure I'll surpass Sirius."

Sirius turned his head to look at me, the cocky grin back in residence on his face. "You think so? Colette, I think you've overshot a bit this time. You can back down now and forget about it before it's too late… 'Cause I don't back away from challenges."

"Well, Black, I already hit better than you do. I don't see why I can't beat you in everything else. You are obviously inferior." I gave him a smug grin, knowing he couldn't resist the bait.

He frowned at me. "Black? I thought we were on first name basis."

"You called me Colette."

"As a joke."

"And?"

"Well, I'm dating your friend."

"How does that relate?"

"It means we should use first names."

"You can use my first name all you want. I think we should stick to last name basis."

"But you call everyone by their first name!"

"If you haven't already gotten the news, Sirius, here it is. I don't like you. In face, I hate you."

He smirked. "You called me Sirius."

…

Oops.

What can I say? It's habit. I glared at him. "That's the last time. And I didn't realize it mattered so much." I was trying my hardest to throw him off balance, like he always did to me. Not so surprisingly, it didn't work.

He shrugged, and hugged Kristy tighter. "It doesn't. I just like to pick on you."

I snatched up a handful of dirt and flung it in his face. For a moment, his face was the picture of pure shock. Then, he grinned, a playful mischievous grin.

"Oh, it is so on Aria."

He jumped to his feet, dumping Kristy into the dirt and drew his wand in a flash. He used nonverbal magic to make a jet of water blast towards me face. I drew up a shield spell, also silently, and shot a Bat-Bogey Hex at him. From that point on, it was a lot of very fast dueling. It didn't take long for us to draw an audience.

I'm okay at dueling, obviously no master, but he wasn't too shabby either. We tired at the same pace and slipped at almost exactly the same moments. An exhilarated laugh escaped me as I realized how evenly matched we were. Remind me why I hadn't tried to duel him before.

A rumble of laughter came from his side. "Truce?" He shouted. I shook my head, laughing hysterically, blonde hair flying.

"No way in hell!" My supporters cheered as I parried another hex. "We wait for your surrender, Mr. Black!"

"Well, prepare yourself for a very long wait!" Sirius was still laughing as well, and I wondered if he had got a tickling charm past my guards. That was the only thing that could explain me laughing with Sirius Black.

The duel lasted five more minutes and ended with Kristy complaining she was hungry, and to stop so she could get some food with her boyfriend. I felt a little bit better about Sirius after being able to take out all my fury on him. When we ate dinner, we all sat together. Kristy cuddled in Sirius's lap, and they made out between eating. James sat next to Lily, feverishly trying to engage her in conversation. Rayne and Remus quietly discussed books, while Pettigrew stuffed himself. I sat and watched it all, alarmed by how much we suddenly seemed like a family. I could feel the eyes of the Slytherins at my back, wondering why I was sitting with blood traitors, muggle-borns, and Sirius Black, for Merlin's sake. They would keep on wondering as I sat with the same people for the next two weeks straight.

……………………………………………………………………………………………....

It was a relief to have the first month of school over. Things continued to be mostly the same. Slowly, my group seemed to meld together with the Marauders, until it seemed odd if they didn't sit with us. Sirius and Kristy were still dating, but I knew it wasn't long until it ended. Sirius didn't seem at all into it, a fact that was picked up and endlessly circulated around Hogwarts by Sirius's fan girls, who were gleeful. I saw it too, in the way he seemed to look through her and didn't register half the words she said. I watched silently, unable to do anything at all. Soon enough, Kristy's little world would tumble apart.

While Kristy and Sirius only grew apart, many of us grew closer. Lily and Rayne had gone from enemies to friends in a matter of a day and they only became better friends in the weeks that passed. They still challenged each other in their academics, but now it was a friendly rivalry, and they studied constantly together. I often felt like the third wheel, outside of their study hall world.

It only made sense that as Rayne and Lily became close, I found someone else to spend time with. And no one was more surprised than I to find out that person was James.

Lily had been a good friend to me for a long time, but I could never really consider her my best friend. I left too much out for that. For the longest time, Cissy had held that spot in my heart. But now, James was slowly edging her out. I could spend hours just laughing with James, doing homework, or practicing Quidditch, all things I could never do with Narcissa. Even though she was more open with me than most, she was still a Slytherin and there were still boundaries. With James, everything was open, at least on his end. I couldn't give much away, not now, but I felt if I did, he would listen.

As I spent more time with James, that also meant spending more time with Sirius. He bugged me constantly, going out of his way to annoy me or do things with me. He scheduled extra practices for just us Beaters, apparently so I could 'work out my issues with him' and 'get to that twin level'. It made no sense to me, but it meant I could 'accidentally' chuck Bludgers at Sirius, which was always fun. Besides Quidditch, he was almost constantly with James. I learned to tolerate him better and his jabs weren't as irritating as they had been before. This disappointed Kristy, who still had the odd notion that Sirius had some fascination with me that stemmed from romantic feelings. True, he had practically stalked me for a few years, but that was just because he was an annoying git, not because he was in love with me. I had to constantly reassure Kristy that I was nowhere near interested in her boyfriend.

Remus and Peter were also a part of our little circle, but much more quiet. Remus supplied a voice of reason when Rayne wasn't acting. He also joined Lily and Rayne's study groups occasionally, showing no boredom at all in going over each and every sentence in a textbook, or worse, analyzing a spell. Peter tended to follow James or Sirius around, sometimes disappearing for huge chunks of time. I was vaguely disturbed by his clinginess and avoided him in general.

All was good in my little world, but it hung on a very delicate thread. Soon enough, everything would come crumbling down. What's that muggle rhyme?

_Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall_

_Humpty Dumpty had a great fall_

_And all the king's horses and all the king's men_

_Could never put Humpty together again_

………………………………………………………………………………………………

October was a warm month, my favorite of the year. I was turning seventeen on the 11th, something I couldn't wait for. I would inherit all my family jewelry once I was of age and my mother had promised me money to go on a shopping spree, a rare treat. Yes, I am quite shallow.

On the 13th, there was going to be our first Quidditch match, against Hufflepuff. I wasn't worried, although I hadn't quite gotten better than Sirius yet. At least now we were functioning somewhat as a team, instead of arguing across the field like before.

It was noon on a Saturday and I had just had my tea with Narcissa. I was skipping up the stairs out of the dungeons. As I rounded the corners that brought me toward the Great Hall, I began to hear raised voices. I turned around the last corner and saw a huge mass of people watching a couple in the middle. The girl was shouting at the boy, tears streaming down her cheeks. Oh no…

Kristy was ranting uncontrollably at Sirius, who looked somewhat stricken. He paled as he spotted me hovering at the edge of the crowd. He was right to be scared. I felt murderous.

I pushed my way to where Kristy was standing. She was still yelling and didn't see me.

"You traitor!" she screeched at him. "Why did you do this? Why did you need to single ME out. You never really wanted me. You were just leading me on, trying to hurt me! Just friends! I can never think of you as just a friend! I love you! And you've broken my heart! Aria was right all along!"

I grabbed Kristy's elbow. "Kristy! What is going on?!"

She turned to see me, and her eyes were red and furious. Her face was blotched from crying. She stared at me for a moment and slapped me across the face.

I let go of her elbow, stepping back, a hand going to my cheek. "Kristy?"

She pointed accusingly at me. "It's all your fault! You knew and you didn't tell me!"

"WHAT?" I screamed. I could feel tears welling in my own eyes. I struggled to hold them back. "What, Kristy?"

"You knew!" she sobbed. "You knew he was in love with you!"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Mua ha ha ha! Another cliff hanger!**

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**Love!**


	11. Sobfest

'**Lo guys! The next chapter is finally here. Sorry it's not that long, but a lot happens! Hee hee! Our story is on the fast track now!**

**Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! I have 43 -almost 50- reviews! That's about five for each chapter! I'm hoping that we can get up to 53 before I update again, but that is up to you guys! So, please review!**

**Enjoy!**

**Warning: I may role-play as JK Rowling, but I am not actually her. Damn.**

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"What?" My voice cracked, breaking the eerie silence that had fallen. "You have got to be kidding me." I was right to have worried about Kristy. She had obviously lost her mind.

"Oh, come on Aria!" she snapped at me. "Don't act surprised. You've known it all along! That's why you warned me!"

"Kristy, you're quite upset. You're being delusional. Everyone knows what you are saying is insane." I glanced at Sirius, who was watching the whole fiasco with a curiously blank expression. "Come on, Sirius. Tell her she's wrong."

"Sorry, no can do." His voice was neutral, but his eyes were roiling with hidden emotions.

I whirled on him. "Why the hell not?" Anger was bubbling in the pit of my stomach, and for once I didn't push it away.

He stepped closer, looking into my eyes. I froze. There was something very scary in the way he was looking at me. It couldn't be… "I can't deny it because it's true. Hadn't you guessed?"

So that was it. That was the emotion in his eyes. Not love, but… I couldn't describe it. A mixture of devotion, affection, and wonder. He **liked** me.

All the puzzle pieces were falling into place. Why he had practically stalked me. Why he had tried so hard over the years to free me from my Slytherin upbringing. Why he had spent so much time with me, especially this year. Sirius Black didn't do that for just anyone.

How could I have not noticed? I prided myself on being observant, but I hadn't even seen this. Kristy had seen it. The other girls had seen it. Why else would they be so happy to know I hated him? I bet James had seen it too. That's why he had pushed us together so much.

I was shaking my head, back and forth, my hands fisted in my hair. No, no, no, no!

I was backing away, getting away. I turned and the crowd parted so I could pass through. I was speeding up. I need to get out. I was jogging, then running, and then sprinting.

There was no question where I was going. I always went there. If anything went wrong, Cissy would take me in.

_"Being a Gryffindor is harder than I thought. I don't know anyone, Cissy!" It was the first day of school, at lunchtime. Suddenly, being different wasn't so fun._

_Cissy patted my hand. "If you ever need anything, come down to the Slytherin Common Room. It'll be just like home there!"_

_I hugged her tightly. "Cissy, what would I do without you?_

I had known that answer then, and I knew it now. I'd fall to pieces. And all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't have put me together again.

It was hopeless, Sirius's whole campaign. My Slytherin façade was a drug. When I was in the Slytherin Common Room with Cissy and Nyx, my emotions were sedated and dull. I could be like one of them again. Nothing hurt because I had armor. Invincible armor. Without my armor, I was nothing. I needed it was surely as I needed air, food, water. It reminded me of home. They were home.

_My dad didn't notice for days I was back. My mum noticed all too soon._

_"Look at you. What are you smiling about? Have I taught you nothing? You are a rock. A rock. Solid and unshakeable. Emotionless."_

_Like a portrait, she told me what was wrong with me. "You let your hair curl again. Straighten it out and wear it properly, with your combs. You are much, much too tan. You'll have to stay inside for a few weeks before you are presentable. You stand like a boy! Feet closer together." She poked my stomach. "And you've gained weight. You'll have to go on the diet. Again."_

_After a while, I stopped protesting. I'm just a doll. Her puppet. I've got to be perfect. Always perfect. If you're perfect, you don't get hurt…_

The password flew through my lips. I burst into the common room, racing to Cissy's dorm. She wasn't there, and I flung myself on her bed. I lay, tearless, wallowing in my own sorry life.

_"You never address me that way! Never! Insolent child!" A hand slapped my cheek. "Will you never learn?"_

_I cried out in pain as my mother's spell lashed my skin open from the back on my neck down to my collarbone. It was the first time she had ever used her wand on me._

_Ironically, it was the only time it left a scar._

If I had been my normal self, I would have scolded myself for moaning about past injuries. But Kristy's slap had dredged up the past wounds. I hadn't gotten it nearly as bad as Narcissa had, or probably Sirius. Cissy's parents were even stricter than mine, and did not hesitate to hurt. Cissy had multiple scars, mostly hidden by her concealing robes.

I don't know how long I waited on Cissy's bed. It might have been hours, or mere minutes. When she came, she was silent as always, quietly rubbing my back as I began to cry.

I couldn't figure out why I was so upset. Kristy had just been mad; she hadn't betrayed me, or backstabbed me, or anything of the sort. Sirius's confession, while startling, would not induce this sort of reaction in me. As I sobbed even harder, I figured it out. Despite all my efforts, Kristy had been hurt. Even worse, she had been hurt because of me. If Sirius had just broken up with her, I would not be so upset. But he had broken up with her and told her he had loved me the whole time. Kristy would be fully justified to hate me.

Eventually, I cried myself to sleep.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

I didn't return to the Gryffindor Common Room that night. I slept on Cissy's bed, while she slept on an extra bed she'd had the house elves bring up. In the morning, I didn't leave Narcissa's dorm. Nyx got food and brought it up for both us, then tactfully left. We ate in silence, a little uncomfortable. We were used to healing each other after beatings, or crying about Cissy's engagement to my cousin, but this was new. This was an actual conversation about feelings. Needless to say, we hadn't had one of those before.

It remained that way the whole day. I moped in silence, occasionally crying again, while Cissy stayed and kept me comforting company. I stayed the night again, this time staying in the spare bed.

Monday morning, Cissy woke up early and went out to get breakfast. We ate quietly for a few minutes, and then she threw her fork down.

"Okay, Aria. Enough is enough. What is your issue?" The words were said bluntly, but it was a relief to see Cissy with some kind of emotion on her face. Worry mixed with anger. It was more comforting than her silence had been.

"You heard about the fight." It wasn't a question. All of Hogwarts would have heard.

"Yes."

I sighed. "He broke her heart. And he put me in the middle of it."

Cissy walked over to sit next to me and began brushing my hair. It was a task she'd always loved. "Sirius is a boy, Aria. They're selfish and inconsiderate. Whether he admits it or not, he has Slytherin in him. He's bound to be a little more blunt and careless when it comes to girls. You've seen what he's done to other girls. And to you, if I'm not mistaken."

I turned to look at her, eyes wide. "How'd you know?"

She shrugged, and began plaiting my hair. "I guessed. I also guess you tried to warn Kristy, failed miserably and think their break up and Kristy's heart break is all your fault."

I laughed softly. It felt good. "Cissy, you read me like a book."

"Hmm… I should be able to. I've known you for years." She undid the braid, brushing my hair out again. "And I'm going to take another wild guess and say you're only here because you think we'll solve all your problems. You can come here, and get rid of your emotions and just not care anymore."

My voice shook. "Cissy, that's a little spooky."

"Aria…" Cissy shook her head. "I've seen you do just that year after year. You hide behind your heritage, your family, even your friendship with me." She turned me until she could look me in the eye. "Aria, this isn't right for you. Slytherin never suited you. Why do you think you are a Gryffindor?"

"My name," I muttered.

"What?"

"My name." I looked at Cissy mournfully. "_Your name means lion, so I think you better be a _GRYFFINDOR. That's what he told me."

Cissy laughed. Actually threw back her head and laughed. I stared at her in amazement as she roared with laughter. "Ari, you've got to be kidding me." Her eyes sparkled as she grinned at me. "The Sorting Hat wouldn't put you in Gryffindor for your name. He merely used it as a segue. He saw **you**, Ari. The wonderful, charismatic, brave, selfless girl you are, and knew just where you belonged. You belong there, not here, no matter how much I wish I could have you with me." By now she had sobered, and her smile was sad. "I think maybe it's time you let go. I've held on for much too long. It's time for you to be free."

"Cissy…" My eyes were watering. I could feel the truth and conviction in her words. "Oh, Cissy!" I flung my arms around her and started sobbing. But I wasn't the only one. She was crying along with me.

Finally, we let go of each other. I kissed her cheek. "Good bye, Cissy." We weren't ending our friendship, exactly, but we were letting go.

" 'Bye, Ari." She tugged a piece of hair. "Go rock their world."

I bounced up and gave her a tearful grin. "I will. Promise!"

With that, I ran out of the Slytherin Common Room. As I ran, the bonds holding me there broke, one by one. My family, my cousin, my heritage, my upbringing, Nyx, Cissy… I was leaving them behind. _Snap._ I was finally free.

The first bell had just rung, and people were filing through the corridors to get to their classes. I ran through them, and people stared as I passed. After all, I hadn't been seen since my huge fight with Sirius and Kristy.

"LILY! RAYNE!" I bellowed at the top of my lungs. They spun around, eyes widening when they saw me, running and out of breath.

"Aria!" Lily's voice was filled with relief. "Where have you been?"

"I'll explain in a minute!" I panted. "But for now, you've got to come with me!"

"Huh?" Rayne looked bewildered as I grabbed their hands and started dragging them down towards the castle entrance. Unfortunately, I ran right into Professor McGonagall.

"Miss Aria!" she gasped sternly. "Where do you think you are going?"

I straightened up and looked her in the eye. "I'm currently in the process of kidnapping Lily and Rayne so we can ditch class, jump in the lake, and go prank the Marauder's dorm. Which means lots to do in so little time. Bye Minerva!" I started flat out running down the stairs, Rayne and Lily coming with me. McGonagall stood frozen on the stairs, too shocked to say a word. I exited the castle and welcomed the warm October air. Freedom sure did taste good.

……………………………………………………………………………………………....

In the deserted Common Room, I told them everything. All about my childhood, my parents, my issues, ending with the Sirius incident in 5th year. Rayne contributed on that one, telling her side. I think it was fair to say I had permanently widened their eyes. Their mouths might never shut again.

"Oh Aria!" was the first thing Lily said after hearing my story. She hugged my tightly and Rayne joined in. Soon enough, we were all holding each other and sobbing.

"I wish you had t-t-told me!" Lily blubbered. "I feel hor-r-rible!"

"Don't feel bad Lily!" I squeezed her tighter. "It's all my fault!"

"Wah!!!" We all cried out and burst into new tears. We failed to notice the Common Room entrance opening and all the other Gryffindors entering, to see us crying our hearts out in the middle of the floor.

"Aria?" We all looked up to see Kristy, standing uncomfortably in front of us. I could tell from her expression she was sorry.

"Kristy!" We jumped up and hugged her tightly. "Come join our sob fest!" I invited in a loud, tearful voice.

"I'm so sorry Ariiiiiii!" She wailed, wrapping her arms around me. "I didn't mean it!"

"Don't cry Kristy!" I sobbed. This set us all off again, until we were managing to laugh and cry at the same time. Quite a feat.

"Umm…" I turned around to see James standing nervously behind us. "Is there anything I can do?"

I latched onto him. "Come join our sob fest, James-ie!" I pulled him over to the others. "Unleash your feminine side!"

"Argh! No! My manliness would wither on the spot! We can't have me going gay! What would my Lily-flower do?" James was pulling away, shouting loudly. At this point, we were crying because we were laughing too hard.

Lily got up and spoke through peals of laughter. "But what –gasp- about –laugh- me? I need –sobbing sound- your comfort –snort- in this tough time!"

James stopped resisting so suddenly that I toppled to the ground, landing on Kristy. Apparently we hadn't run out of laughs yet, because we started laughing even harder. People were edging away from us.

"Wah!" I jumped to my feet. "Come on, laughing sisters mine! Let's go conquer the world with our giggles and bunnies!"

We linked arms, Kristy, Lily, Rayne and I, and promptly skipped out of the Common Room. It marked a new era in the life of Aria Colette.

……………………………………………………………………………………………....

**Sorry there wasn't much Sirius! There will be more of him in the next chapter! Because… now he's free! And Aria knows he likes her! And Sirius is going to flirt like heck! Yay!**

**Review please, please, please! Remember 53 is our goal!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	12. Boys That Like You

**Hi Everyone! Sorry for the long wait! Mother's Day and all that good stuff.**

**Actually, I have to say that you are going to have to expect slower updates. School is coming to a close and I have finals and such. It's getting really hard for me to find time! I will try and update as quickly as I can, I promise!**

**But thank you for all your support! 53 reviews! Ah! So exciting! I 3 you all!**

**Now, here is the next chapter. I'm sorry to say I indulged a little (hee hee) but I just didn't have the time to fix it as much as I'd like. Oh well… *sigh* In the future, I will try to not indulge.**

**Now, read, read, READ!**

**Warning: I am not JK and you should know that by now. If you don't, you are reading out of order and the Bunny Queen will come and get you.**

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How does it feel, waking up after you've shed all your burdens and confided in your dearest friends? Let me answer that: it feels like flying. The best morning of my life, October 7, a Tuesday, and it was sunny outside.

I glanced over at Kristy and smiled sadly. Our… problems weren't quite over.

_Kristy was staring at me. I had just filled her in on my life story, finally explaining myself. She was gaping at me. _

_"Wow, Ari. That… I'm really sorry."_

_I smiled at her and patted her hand. "There is no need to be sorry, Kris. I'm just glad we are friends again. I was worried… after Sirius, that you wouldn't want to be my friend anymore."_

_She looked down at the table, tracing the wood patterns thoughtfully. "I… I want you to know how freaked out we all were Aria. You just disappear for two whole freaking days. We had no idea where you were. There were so many rumors. 'Aria Colette was so upset, she ran away!' Or, 'Aria Colette got so mad at Kristy and Sirius, she jumped off a bridge!' Things like that. And so, I am sorry, for accusing you, but…" She looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "I'll try to be normal around you. But I think that our friendship is just going to be different now. The guy I love loves you. And as long as Sirius loves you, a little part of me will hate you." _

_A sad smile crept onto my face. "I'd rather just a little part of you hates me, then all of you. And I know things are going to be different. But you do know I'd never say yes to Sirius, right?"_

_She giggled. "Yeah. Poor guy. He's going to be mooning after you for all eternity."_

"Lily! Kristy! Wake up!" I felt like the energizer bunny, bouncing on my friends' beds and whirling around our dorm, all the while brushing my hair. My exuberance hadn't worn off yet and I was in** that** mood. The one I hadn't been in since May.

Lily, who wasn't a morning person, groaned as she awoke. "What is it Aria?"

"I'm in **that** mood Lily."

She sat bolt upright. "**That **mood?"

I nodded.

She scrambled out of bed. "Kristy! Ari is in **that** mood!"

Kristy flung herself out of bed. "Good! It's taken long enough! Just promise me it won't be…"

I patted her arm reassuringly. "I wouldn't do that to you so soon, or ever really."

"No, I'm over it. It'll just take time. I was sort of prepared anyway." Kristy lied determinedly as she ran a brush through her hair. "We just have to stop and get Rayne. Then we can start."

"Mmm-hmm." I rocked back and forth on the balls of my feet. "By the way, do you guys want to go to Diagon Alley on the 11th to shop?"

Lily looked at me. "You get to go off campus?"

I grinned. "Dumbledore signed a special consent form."

"Awwwsome!" Kristy drawled. "You bet, girl. I am so coming."

Lily nodded. "Me too. But now, it's time to attend to **that** mood."

We ran down the dorm stairs, rushing into the Common Room. The Marauders were sitting there, apparently waiting. James stood up, opening his mouth to say something.

"Not now, James!" Lily snapped. "Aria is in **that** mood! We have no time!"

"What?" Sirius stood up, looking puzzled. "What mood is **that**?"

Kristy rolled her eyes, and then glared at her ex-boyfriend of a day. "The flirting mood, of course! Whenever she's in **that** mood, she has a boyfriend by the end of the day!"

Sirius looked like he was plotting something. Oh, that's right. He liked me that way. I held up a hand. "Save it, Black. I'm not doing Gryffindors."

James poked me. "Or Slytherins."

I nodded. "Or Slytherins."

"Or cheaters." Lily glared at Sirius.

"Or Quidditch players." Kristy added, with another glare at Sirius.

"Or Sirius." We all turned to look at Maxie and Amelia, from the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Remember them?

"What?" Sirius asked in a growl.

Maxie straightened up and batted her eyelashes at Sirius. "The Sirius Black Fan Club has voted to induct Aria Colette, Lily Evans and Kristy Kurious into its body as advisers, due to their experience and/or ability to resist you!" She turned to me. "Do you accept? Knowing that, as fan club members, you cannot date Sirius Black, attack a fellow member, or brag about your experiences with Sirius Black?"

I beamed at her. "I heartily accept! Anything to help fellow girls avoid Sirius!"

She smiled at me. "Great! Everyone will be extremely relieved you accepted!"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't tell me you were afraid I was going to date him."

Maxie and Amelia giggled nervously. "He publicly declared he liked you…"

"Yep, that's right." Sirius came up next to me and slung an arm over my shoulders. I froze in shock. Girls around the room stared. "And girls? I will hate you forever if you make Aria take any such vows." I shoved at him, trying to push him away, but he held me tighter. Lily simply stood looking amused. Kristy looked like she wanted nothing more than to rip Sirius's head off. Maxie and Amelia looked as if they had been punched. In an instant, they were groveling at his feet.

"Sorry Sirius! We won't make her swear!"

"Rules are no fun if they don't have exceptions!"

"You know we didn't mean it!"

I groaned. "Let go of me and let these girls get off the floor. It's sickening."

Sirius smirked at me. "As you wish. I'm yours to command."

I made a face at him, trying to ignore how his silver eyes were sparkling with amusement and something deeper… Or the way his hair was hanging just above me, if I reached up, I could stroke it… Or how incredibly sexy his smirk was… Or-

Or maybe I should stop thinking these things. This is freaking Sirius Black. I hate him remember? Or not so much hate, but I hold a grudge. Because I was in love with him, but then he went and broke my heart for the greater good. Which, you know, is kind of sweet in a weird, twisted way. Then again, Sirius never did make much sense in the way he went about things. It was one of the things I had liked about him. Besides the way he smiled, his hair, his laughter, his bad jokes, his-… Again, not a train of thought I want to go down.

Anyhow. "Is that supposed to make me want to go out with you?" No need to mention it had semi-sort-of-worked.

He turned towards me, moving his arm until both his hands were on my shoulders. He slid his hands slowly down my arms until he was holding my hands. For the record, I didn't shiver, faint, close my eyes, moan, etc. I just wanted to.

I don't pretend that Sirius Black isn't the pure incarnation of sexiness. I don't pretend that when he touches me, I don't feel something. I do, it's pure animal attraction. But unlike some people -*cough, cough* Sirius fan girls- I realize that looks do not necessarily make a person, or a boyfriend. Thus, Sirius will have to remain Aria-deprived.

He leaned towards me. His lips were at my ear. "No, that wasn't." I tugged away a little, but he had an iron grip on my wrists. It was a convenient excuse to stay. His voice was deep and husky. "But this is." He slipped something cold and metal into my palm, straightened up, and walked off. I stood, semi-stunned for a moment, before opening my fist to see what was inside. At first sight, I gasped.

It was a necklace, probably worth thousands of Galleons. But that wasn't what made me gasp. I had seen priceless jewelry before. It was nothing new. But this… this seemed as if it was made for me. The chain itself looked hundreds of years old (in a good way) but was smooth to the touch. It was a dark iron, almost black. The center gems flashed somewhere in between blue and purple, and were shaped like violets. Lighter iron served as vines, and one large violet hung in front. It was everything I ever wanted in a piece of jewelry.

Kristy and Lily were gaping at the necklace, and fan girls surrounded us. I swear, the Common Room was dead silent.

Lily swallowed. "If he thinks he can buy you, he is sadly wrong."

Kristy nodded emphatically, but didn't take her awed eyes off the necklace. "Yeah, Sirius is delusional."

"That's not what this is about." My own voice startled me. "He's not trying to buy me. He's… trying to prove he knows me." My voice shook as I reached my other hand out to stroke the gems.

James whistled. "Looks like he did a pretty good job."

"You'll throw it back in his face, won't you?" Lily's voice was full of confidence in me, but my mind was reeling in horror. Throw this beautiful, delicate, perfect necklace? Give it back?

"No!" It was an involuntary refusal. I clutched the necklace to me. "I most certainly will not give it back!"

Lily put her hands on her hips. "Ari, you can't just accept presents from people. Especially guys."

I sniffed. "In this case I can." I winked at her. "It's almost my birthday."

I careful clasped the necklace around my neck, and smiled as the large violet settled at the hallow of my throat.

And then I frowned.

Because I wasn't in **that** mood anymore. Normally, I only got out of **that** mood once I had a boyfriend.

…

Damn Sirius.

……………………………………………………………………………………………....

The fact that Sirius had given me a necklace, and the fact that I was wearing it, caused quite a stir. I don't know how many times I denied Sirius and I were going out. "No, we're not going out." "The necklace? Yes he gave it to me." "It's a birthday present." "No, I don't like him." "No, I won't help you put a love potion on him." "I'm sorry; I'm late for class. Got to run!"

My friends were tired of this routine by the second time, and ditched me after the fifth. I grumbled as I waded my way towards the Great Hall for dinner. Some friends they were.

I was slightly mollified when I found they had saved me a seat. I plopped down next to Lily, across from Kristy and Rayne. Rayne had taken to eating at the Gryffindor table more and more. It was no longer odd to see her here.

"Hi guys!" I chirped. "How was your day? Hopefully fan girl free?"

Lily groaned. "No, they stalked us too. They wanted to know if you had feelings for him."

I raised an eyebrow. "What did you say?"

Kristy snickered. "That you felt for him as a cat does for a dog."

"Nice!" I high-fived her. "I wish I'd come up with that." I rolled my eyes. "Seriously –no pun intended- I'd rather snog a dog!"

"What's this about snogging dogs, love?" Sirius slipped in next to me, and James pushed me down so he could sit next to Lily. Lily and I groaned simultaneously, and I rubbed my temples with my fingers.

"Please don't tell me you are going to start acting like James and practically stalk me. Oh wait! You already did that!" I grinned savagely at him.

"That's right, love." He poked my forehead. "But, if I remember correctly, you did a fair amount of stalking yourself."

"Huh. You must be mistaken." I turned to eat, hoping to avoid the conversation. Unfortunately, the food hadn't arrived yet. Dumbledore must want to announce something.

"Anyhow, as long as you don't ask me out every day, I think I will maintain sanity." I told Sirius.

"Hey!" James protested. "I haven't asked Lily out in ages."

I grinned at him. "I didn't mention you specifically James. But I do admire your self-restraint. A day and an hour, truly impressive."

James narrowed his eyes. "Sirius, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I usually am, mate."

I inched away from James. "No way, not again!"

He smirked. "Sorry, but you asked for it!" Sirius grabbed me from behind, holding me while James proceeded to tickle me mercilessly. Why, oh why, did they have to repeat this? Once in a lifetime was enough!

"Ahem." James jumped away from me at Dumbledore's voice. But Sirius held on, holding my back tight against his chest. I was practically in his lap as well.

"Mr. Black? Miss Aria?" Dumbledore, and the rest of the school, was looking at us. I elbowed Sirius sharply in the chest, and he released me with a quick intake of breath. I scooted away from him. I hope it left a bruise.

"I just would like to announce that there is going to be a Masquerade Ball to celebrate Halloween. All students may attend. Enjoy your dinner!"

"A ball?" Kristy was looking at me, her eyes wide. "We've never had that before."

James waved a hand in front of my face. "Aria?"

I was staring at the wall, face blank, trying to block out all the ball memories I had. Malfoys were found of holding balls, and every summer, I went to my uncle's house at least four times to be subjected to dancing, stuck-up boys, and disapproving grown ups. Ugh. If I wasn't mistaken, Sirius had been there too. Damn him.

Sirius snickered. "Aria, hopefully this won't be a repeat of the last ball."

I promptly banged my fists against the table and stomped my foot. "I HATE balls! I HATE dancing! I HATE stupid parties, and flirting, and BOYS! Uhg!" I fisted my hands in my hair and proceeded to glare gloomily at the wall.

Rayne turned to Sirius. "Explanation."

Sirius grinned, and it wasn't a nice grin. "At the end of this summer, the Malfoys threw their usual ball. And of course we were there." He wrinkled his nose, as sure sign of his disdain for purebloods. "Well, Aria isn't the best dancer on the planet. She was dancing with Nott, I think, when she tripped over his feet and fell into him. He fell over and landed in the punch bowl. It was hilarious!"

"It was awful!" I moaned. "My mum got so mad at me, she docked my allowance."

James snorted. "I wouldn't be upset if you pushed more Slytherins into punch bowls. It'd sure be a sight!"

I wrinkled my nose at him. "But think of how the punch would taste!"

"Ew." Lily looked disgusted. "Push the Slytherins into something else. Like the trashcan. It's where they belong."

"I'll pass," I said calmly, munching on a large piece of pumpkin bread. "You can do the honors."

"Speaking of," Sirius started. He nudged me. "I'm holding an extra practice for just us Beaters, since you missed the Quidditch practice on Sunday. Be down at eight."

"Wha-a-t?" I sputtered. "No way am I practicing with just you." I spun around to look pleadingly at James, but he shook his head. I frantically looked down the table. Where were Maxie and Amelia when you needed them? Then, Alfred Gawkboks, our Seeker, came scampering down the aisle. "Alfred!" I flung my arms around him and he froze. "Alfred, mate, you've got to save me! Sirius wants a one-on-one Quidditch practice tonight, and you know that he is my creepy stalker! I can't be alone with him, I can't!" I wailed, pitifully, unashamedly fake crying. I could practically hear Sirius grinding his teeth.

Alfred looked down at me shyly. "I'll help Aria. I'll be there."

"Oh goly, Alfred. Gee, thanks!" I turned to smirk at Sirius. "Eight tonight. Be there." I reached up and pecked a surprised Alfred on the cheek. With that, I picked up my bag, and left the Great Hall behind.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

When a boy likes someone, he can be really obnoxious about it. It is one of the universal rules. They poke you, tease you, pester you, and threaten people. This may be thought of as cute where you live, but where I am, this is just plain irritating. Say, for instance, the boy who liked you was the Captain of your Quidditch team. And he schedules a one-on-one practice for just the two of you. You, of course, don't want to be alone with him, so you ask another member very kindly to join you. He agrees, but the boy who likes you gets to him and threatens him. He tells your friend to get lost or he's off the team. So your poor, dear savior backs out and you find yourself alone on the Quidditch field at eight at night with the boy who likes you. It is not a fun situation, take it from me.

"Black, if you try anything tonight, I will strangle you." I wouldn't normally dress so cozily for Quidditch practice, but around Sirius, I wasn't taking any chances. My hair was tied up, my sweats circling my ankles, and the hood on my sweatshirt up.

He grinned at me. "Hey, I'm doing you a favor. You can snog me anytime you want and no one will know." The field was surprisingly empty, but I'd bet every fan girl out there was clustering at the overlooking windows. I was standing far away from him and cautiously watching as he prepped for our practice.

"Is it pointless to say I don't ever want to snog you?" My tone was tired, exhausted. I could finally see why Lily treated James the way she did. The difference was, James was actually a nice person. Sirius was an arrogant, conceited, man-whore who needed a haircut and a knuckle sandwich. I would be all too glad to oblige.

"Of course. Everyone wants to snog me." That insufferable grin was glued to his face.

"Correction, Black: No one but your fan girls wants to be within a mile of you." I knew this wouldn't hurt him at all, but I couldn't help but retort. Now that I had released my tongue and temper, it appeared I couldn't stop myself.

"Well, then, it's good that you are one of my fan girls, isn't it?" His eyes were gleaming with amusement as he straightened up to look at me. I'd walked right into that one.

I sniffed. "Actually, I am not a fan girl. I am one of their counselors. Supposedly, they will go to me to get help with their affliction."

"Whatever." He had lost interest in the conversation a while back, I guessed. He tossed my broom to me. "Come on, Ari. Let's try and get this straightened out before our match."

I mounted my broom, pushing off with the full force of my irritation. When we were both hovering in the air, I crossed my arms. "Now what?"

He tossed me my bat. "I just want to hit one of the Bludgers back and forth. I figure it'll help out with our coordination, being in sync with each other, all that."

"That's it?" It sounded too good to be true. I didn't have to talk to him and I got to hit Bludgers at him. The perfect evening in my book.

However, this was Sirius, and things with him were rarely perfect. "Actually, while we practice, we should talk. Really talk out our issues with each other. Get everything out in the open. **That's** all."

I sneered at him and I'm sure I'd never looked more like my cousin. It wasn't a good thought. "What if I don't want to talk to you?"

Sirius looked sternly at me. "Aria, do you want to win or not?"

I huffed. "Of course I do."

He lightly hit the Bludger at me. "Then go along with it. I am your Captain. I'd like to not have to threaten you, but if you don't cooperate, I'll have to kick you off the team."

I gaped at him and the Bludger back with unnecessary force. "You wouldn't."

He lifted his eyebrows. "I would."

We were falling into a rhythm as we hit the Bludger back and forth. It was hard to keep it on a straight course time and time again. Sweat beaded my brow. "Okay, then. What are we supposed to talk about?"

"How about telling me how you feel about me?"

I looked incredulously at him. "Sirius, you have got to be kidding me. You know that. I hate you."

"Actually," he refuted, not looking at all upset, "I think that is the first time you've said it straight to my face this year. And, while that is on the right track, I meant more in depth. Why do you 'hate' me?"

The quotes around the word hate were painfully obvious. "It's not a joke, Sirius." I struggled for a moment with my anger, a reflex reaction. "Jeez, where to start? Maybe with out you have made it your personal mission to torture me for the past three years. Or how you broke one of my best friend's heart, telling me you liked me in front of her right after you dumped her."

Sirius winced. "That wasn't exactly the best way to break it to you. I just don't like lying."

"Or maybe," I was talking loudly, almost yelling, "I could tell you about the way you cheated on me, back in 5th year." My throat was tightening with anger. "Who does that Sirius, even if you were trying to help me? It was right!"

He sighed, and nearly missed the Bludger. "You are right, about everything. Of course." He seemed weighed down, not the normal carefree Sirius. "Look, I was just trying to help you. I went about it the wrong way, but I had good intentions. So… I'm sorry. About everything. I never meant to hurt you."

"It doesn't matter, now." I swung my bat forward and it cracked hard against the Bludger. "But you can make it up to me."

He perked up. "How?"

I spat out the words. "Leave me freaking alone."

He sent me a sardonic look. "Sure, that'll just be so incredibly easy, seeing how I'm in love with you and all that."

I snorted. "You aren't in love with me. In lust, more like."

I could almost see something like pain in his eyes as he responded. "You're wrong." I opened my mouth to growl at him, but he cut me off. "I love you, Aria Malfoy Colette. I love you, not just your hair, or your smile, or the way you laugh. I love the way you try so hard to be a good friend, a good student, and a good daughter. I love the way you yell at me. I love the way you give people chances when others wouldn't. I love your sarcasm. I love the way you don't fall over people for their looks. I love the way you know me. I love the way you use your hands when you talk. I love the way you help people when they are upset. I love the way you are loud and dramatic and crazy. I love the way you eat with your right hand and write with your left. I love the way you look at me. I love you."

I couldn't say anything. I was just hovering there in midair. I had missed the Bludger a long time ago, and now it was barreling back towards him. He caught it, tackling it and forcing it back into its case. I swallowed, trying to get something out of my dry mouth. He looked up at me, and it was as if everything was normal, as if he had never said anything at all.

"It's dark, and I think we've got the hang of it. We should head in."

I nodded numbly, still unable to respond. When we landed, my legs were shaky and my hands were trembling.

He coughed lightly, and I looked at him instinctively. "Sorry. I just kind of dropped that on you. But you should know." He looked utterly confident and assured on the surface, but I could see a little part of him was open and venerable to me. "I have just one question still." He grinned at me, a stunning and glittering grin. "How did you like the necklace?"

Luckily, I had recovered my ability to speak. "Ummm…" I was suddenly nervous around him. "Thanks, it's perfect."

"No problem." He was suddenly close to me, and he was leaning down. I stood, frozen and horrified. His lips brushed my cheek. Then he backed away, grinning impishly. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

He had been gone for a few seconds when everything finally caught up to me.

"SIRIUS BLACK! YOU ARE SO DEAD!"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Thanks for reading! I'll try and update in the next week! Sorry it's a little 'chic lit'-esqe, but I'm having fun, at least! Which, of course, is why I'm writing! And I get to share the fun I have with all of you! Yay!**

**Hearts to all of you and love!**


	13. Wizard of Oz

**Hello! Weekly chapter up! Yay! I don't have much to say, but please, please review. I'd like to have at least 70 reviews when I update again. It would make me happy, please? ******

**Anyhow, enjoy!**

**Warning: God, no, I am not JK Rowling. Will you all please stop asking?**

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The bright beam of sunlight woke me up. I yawned, stretching, then looked around me. The library was still quiet and secluded at 5 in the morning. I was curled up in one of the large window seats, a blanket thrown over me. My hair had served as a pillow and I smiled in contentment.

You may be asking, Aria, what the heck are you doing in the library at 5 in the morning? Or, Aria, why the heck were you sleeping in the library at such an odd time? The long answer is, I am not quite in my right mind at this time. Please understand that for the past four, or is it five, days, Sirius has been mercilessly stalking me. He's everywhere, I swear. He knows my schedule; we are in the same House and on the same team. Add that all together, plus his uncanny ability to know where I am… You get the instant recipe for Aria-madness. So, yesterday, when he decided to hit on me in the library, I couldn't bare the thought of coming back to the Common Room. I hit my head gently against the stone wall as the memory surged up before my eyes.

_"Shove off, Black." I was using his last name more and more. After the night at the Quidditch pitch, he'd reverted to ultra-flirt mode, using every opportunity to try and get close to me._

_He leaned in, putting an arm around my waist and pulling me close. It could have been a friendly hug, had it been anyone but Sirius. He laughed in my ear. "Love, you are adorable when you're mad."_

_I decided to play along for once. "Really?" My voice was deliberately breathy as I leaned closer, my lips brushing his ear. That is what alerted him._

_"Nuh-uh." His hand closed over mine, the one that was drawing my wand. "Nice try, but you might want to be a little more natural if you are going to do that."_

_"Thanks for the advice," I muttered, trying to pull away. He let me, smirking. _

_"I'd stay, but if you aren't going to play nice, I'll go wander the halls." He stood up, his voice teasing. "I'll be fantasizing about you, love."_

_"Nice to know!" I shouted sarcastically after him. An action that resulted in me getting kicked out of the library for PDA and loud behavior. Stupid, stupid Sirius._

I've had worse memories, but this one was more irritating than anything else. Besides, Lily and Rayne both hated Sirius, and had taken to disappearing when he came into sight. Even worse, Kristy was barely hanging out with any of us.

In the back of my mind, I'd known that her broken heart might get between us, but I had hoped that we could prevent that. But after the first day or two, I began to see the strain on her. Anytime I talked to Sirius, even if it was just to insult him, her eyes blazed and her fists clenched. She'd storm off after these episodes, to the library or to the Fan Club Headquarters, I place I had yet to go. She was still eating with us at meals, but I was sure even that would go soon.

As Sirius evasion, I had hid in the Room of Requirement until I knew it was safe to venture out. I snuck into the library and sat for several hours simply gazing out as the moonlight played on the lake. Eventually, exhaustion had overcome me, and I had fallen asleep here.

The short answer? Well, it was the night before my birthday.

Today, I was officially seventeen years old. I was an adult. I could do magic outside of school. I could make money. I could… DO WHATEVER THE HELL I WANTED TO!

Well, not exactly. For instance, I'm sure they wouldn't allow me to kill Sirius. But I could always hope, couldn't I?

It would be several hours before anyone else was up. It was a weekend and even Lily, Rayne, and Kristy would sleep in. I considered any number of things I could do. But my mind kept returning to the same idiotic idea. Before I left Hogwarts, I had vowed, stupidly, to do two things. I wanted to take a morning jog around the grounds, something I never got up early enough to do, and I wanted to jump in the lake.

Sighing, I knew that my mind had made itself up. I summoned some of jogging clothes from my dorm, walking to a bathroom to change. I was right in suspecting Filch wouldn't be up. The man does enjoy sleeping, something he can't do during the day or half the night. I could almost hear him snoring from where I was.

I pulled on a red tank top and knee-length gym shorts. I even pulled my massive amount of hair up into a messy bun. I whistled as I found my way out onto the grounds.

I'd always loved running. You feel like you are flying, leaving everything behind. You have to push yourself and you have to work, but if you pull through, you can amaze yourself.

The sun was much higher in the sky when I was done running. I ended in front of the lake. It looked cool, murky and dangerous. Rumors of the Giant Squid came to mind as I grinned, put my hands above my head, and jumped.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Sirius's POV:**

It was October 11, Aria's birthday. And man, was I excited.

Aria was planning on going off to Diagon Alley for some shopping with her friends. Little did she know, the Marauders would also be accompanying her.

I had talked James and the others into party crashing a few days ago. It was easy. James didn't want Evans in Diagon Alley with only her friends, prey to any handsome young wizard. Peter wanted to do whatever we wanted to do, and I was beginning to suspect Remus had a more than friendly interest in Aria's friend, Hale.

Her friendship with Hale was one of the things I'd first loved about Aria. Even though I had cheated on her with this girl, she had gone and made friends with her. She didn't resent her at all. It was amazing. You don't meet a girl who does that every day.

But here I am, daydreaming about Aria again. Once I confessed I liked Aria, things started happening fast. Next thing I knew, I was thinking of her nearly every moment and she was even haunting my dreams. It's pretty incredible.

I've tried to stay close to her all week, speaking to her whenever I can. Unfortunately, she hasn't been very receptive. More annoyed than anything else. But I beat her a few times. With the necklace… I was messing around, the way I'd given it to her. Trying to see, and boy! Yep, she's attracted to me. She didn't even struggle that much to get away. Deny it, she can try to do, but I know the truth! Actually, knowing Aria, she has already figured out she's attracted to me, and has convinced herself it's just physical attraction because of my incredible hotness. At least she's semi-honest with herself.

Speaking of which, there was the second time, when I told her I loved her. She was SILENT. How many times to do think that happens with Aria Colette? She looked like someone dropped a bomb on her. It was rather amusing. And I couldn't really help it when I kissed her. Seriously, she should be glad it's just her cheek. I wanted to kiss her on the mouth, to kiss her right there and put everything I'd just said into it, but I refrained. Yet, she was still as mad as a bloody madwoman.

So, I was in a pretty good mood as I walked down to breakfast on October 11th. That is, I was in a good mood until I saw Evans, Hale, and Kristy freaking out. In fact, James was standing near by, looking slightly upset.

I strode up to him. "What's going on?"

Evans turned towards me, and I could see she had cried. "Aria, I can't find her anywhere! She didn't come into the dorms last night. I figured she was out late, snogging someone or something. But this morning, none of her stuff had been touched. And she wasn't down here and I can't find her anywhere!"

Hale and Kristy were in similar states of distraught. McGonagall, always quick to spot any crisis, was over in a flash. "Miss Evans! What in the world is going on?"

Evans spilled out her whole story to McGonagall, as even I felt fear growing in my gut. She was over Slytherins, she had told James that. She wouldn't be there… unless I'd done something again. Something so bad she went back into her crazy-happy-no-being-mad state. I started to panic. I'd have to provide therapy, only the best for my Aria. She needed help, I'm sure she could admit that. There was hope perhaps. Mungos might do the job, but it could be too public. And-

"What's all the fuss?" We spun around as a unit to see Aria standing in the entrance of the Great Hall and my jaw dropped.

I'd seen Aria out of her robes before obviously, but then always in jeans and a tee shirt, which weren't that special. Don't get me wrong, she still looked smokin' but this… this was different.

She was wearing a simple red tank top that clung to her body and allowed for quite a bit of cleavage. Not a slutty amount, just enough to make all the guys in the room speechless for a moment. She also wore black gym shorts, knee-length, that showed off her tan, smooth skin on her slim, defined calves. Her hair was up in a messy bun, she wore no make up, and she was sopping wet. Still, I'd never seen anything more beautiful.

She walked down the aisle between the Ravenclaw table and our own like a model or… I don't know. My brain wasn't functioning properly.

"Professor? Is something wrong?" Her voice was lighter and happier than I often heard it. When I talked to her, it was dark and tense.

"Miss Aria! Where have you been? And what are you wearing?" McGonagall seemed more than aware of all the attention Aria was getting from the guys around the room, and some of the girls. Aria, however, seemed completely naïve about the affect she was having on people.

"Well, Professor… That is a long story." Her eyes turned a crystal blue. Ah. So she was going to lie. "You see, last night I was kicked out of the library. So I went to study someplace else. I found myself a nice deserted classroom and was working. I lost track of time, and when I realized how late it was, I went to return to the Common Room. However, the Fat Lady wasn't there. I didn't want to get caught out after hours… so I went to the library and slept there."

McGonagall looked skeptical. "Then why are you in jogging clothes?"

Aria smiled. "You see, I was planning on going on a run before I went to bed. So I had changed before I went to the classroom. This was all I had."

McGonagall was beginning to get frustrated. "Why are you soaking wet?"

Aria positively beamed at her. "Because-"

"Oh, I give up!" McGonagall threw her hands in the air. "Just, go change." She walked away, massaging her temples.

Aria turned to us, exhaling. "Man. That was close. I couldn't think of an excuse."

Evans laughed out loud. "Goodness, Aria. All that time with James certainly has rubbed off."

We all stared at her, Aria included. "What?" Her green eyes were worried. "What?"

At the same time, slow smiles began growing on Aria, James and my faces. James spoke softly. "You called me James."

Evans eyes widened in alarm. "Only because Aria calls you James all the time!"

James looked like he was going to really get into it, but Aria stopped him with a look. "Well, I've got to go get changed. You guys should eat. We leave in about thirty minutes." We followed reluctantly as she began to walk out. Then, someone from over at the Ravenclaw table let out a whistle. Suddenly, guys from every house were whooping and cat calling and whistling. Evans gasped.

"How disgusting!" She turned to Aria and froze. Because Aria was grinning in that special way she has. She looked gorgeous and sexy and flirty and… I should cut it with the adjectives.

She pulled her hair out of the bun and let it fan out behind her, walking proudly to the entrance of the Great Hall. She paused before exiting, glancing back at us, laughter in her eyes. She made eye contact with everyone, her eyes finally meeting mine. The laughter became more pronounced. Quickly, but obviously, her eyes flickered down and up my body. I swear time froze.

This time, she laughed out loud before winking and exiting the Great Hall amidst cheers. I was still stunned.

Evans turned to Hale, open mouthed. "If I'm not wrong," she said in a weak voice, "Aria just totally checked Sirius out."

Hale swallowed. "I think we have a lot to worry about."

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**Aria's POV:**

I knelt on my bed, hands fisted in my hair. What was I thinking?

I had exited the Hall while boys clapped and whistled, which was not particularly bad. However, when I had turned to meet my friends' astonished gaze, I had caught eyes with none other than Sirius Black.

If I had sneered or looked away, that would have been okay. But he was looking at me like I was the most desirable thing on the planet and he wanted to take me and kiss me right there. Deep inside me, the instinctive flirt reacted. Rule 1 of flirting: If a boy flirts with you, flirt back. So I had let my eyes quickly run over his body before turning and heading up stairs. Once I had gotten here, it had really sunk in.

I had jumped in the lake.

Worn a jogging outfit into the Great Hall.

Lied to McGonagall.

Had been wolf-whistled at by nearly everyone male at Hogwarts.

And flirted with Sirius Black

…

Damn.

It wasn't as if I liked the guy. I didn't, I don't, I swear. I just… I was attracted to him. Purely physical. … Or was it?

I rummaged through my wardrobe, pushing Sirius out of mind. My birthday presents sat on my bed, but I ignored them. I would do that later.

I finally settled on a pretty red dress, with thick straps and a knee-length bottom. It was simple, but elegant. I slipped on cute, black flats with bows and pulled some of my hair back, taking more care with it than usual. I also applied more dramatic make up. It was my birthday, after all.

I threw my robes over the dress and returned to collect my friends. I found most people still in the Great Hall. They probably wanted another show.

"Ready to go guys?" I linked arms with Lily and Rayne, smiling at Kristy. She, in turn, linked arms with Lily. "One, two, three, WE'RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD, THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ. WE HEAR HE IS A WIZ OF A WIZ, IF EVER A WIZ THERE WAS. IF EVER OH EVER A WIZ THERE WAS, THE WIZARD OF OZ IS ONE BECAUSE. BECAUSE, BECAUSE, BECAUSE, BECAUSE! BECAUSE OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS HE DOES! WE'RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD, THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OOOOZ!" The song carried us all the way to Dumbledore's office. As one person, we shouted the password, "BUBBLE GUM!" and climbed the swirling white staircase.

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**Yes, I know, I did it again. More indulgence. But… I LIKE indulging myself! **

**I heart you all!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	14. Lily, James, and Words like Sexy

**HI GUYS! Sorry for the super long wait. I'm sure you want to read, so I'll be brief.**

**I get out of school on the 10th, so from then on I will have more regular updates. Until then, you are going to have to wait a while. Sorry!**

**Please review, I'd really appreciate it!**

**Warning: I do not own Harry Potter, etc. etc. etc. I'm sure you get the picture.**

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There is something incredible about being in Diagon Alley with your friends at your side and bag e full of galleons bouncing on your hip. The ground seems to sparkle; the sun glows, and the window shave a special shine to them. I felt like dancing down the freshly swept street, singing at the top of my lungs. Which, trust me, is not something you want to hear or see. Instead, I settled for jumping up and down while screaming loudly, an action my friends eagerly copied.

"Oh my god!" we screeched in unison. I flung my arms around them and we screamed as all four of us toppled over. Luckily, the streets were both clean and dry. I threw my head back and laughed. That was about my life in a nutshell.

Lily looked more embarrassed than amused. She quickly picked herself up, brushing off her robes, which were parted to show a warm, green sweater-dress. "Jeez, Aria. We've only been here a minute and you've already managed to make a fool of us all. You really are something."

I winked at her. "It's a talent, isn't it? You should be so proud." By now, I was the only one still sitting on the ground, my red dress riding up my thighs. Rayne, who was wearing a chic, streamlined blue dress, extended a hand down to help me up. I scrambled to my feet, trying to preserve as much dignity as I could. As soon as I was up, I took Lily and Kristy's hands. "Come on, my sheep! It is time to go make my parents poor!"

"A truly honorable ambition." I froze. I knew that voice. But it couldn't be… "Mind if we help?"

I spun around and stared in shock. "What in the name of Merlin are you doing here, Sirius Black?"

He grinned at me, eyes sparkling with amusement. His gaze caressed me, obviously encouraged by my… mistake earlier. 'You thought we would let you celebrate your birthday without us? You were sorely mistaken, love."

Lily was frantic. "You shouldn't be here. It's illegal! You have to get permission from the Headmaster and-"

"Don't fret, Lily-flower." James was suddenly standing at Sirius's side. "Old man Dumbledore himself let us through."

Kristy's lips were disappearing in a harsh frown. "Look, you stupid clowns. Aria arranged this day for us, and us alone. I don't know what you are up to, but I suggest you fuck off."

Most days I would be shocked by Kristy's profanity. She was normally very clean spoken. But today, I could understand. This was our day to fix things, make things between us right again. The presence of Sirius was not going to help that.

"I agree with Kristy." Rayne's mind was made up. "Get lost. I don't want to have to deal with your crap."

The boys were beginning to look a little desperate. Apparently, having all four girls telling them to bugger off was not how they imagined this would go. Although, I don't know how they could have expected anything else. Did they think we would be overjoyed to have them along? I was happy James was here, sure, but it wasn't worth having Sirius bug me my whole birthday.

"Well, it's Aria's decision in the end." James claimed, panicked, but still trying to play it cool. "Come on, Rs." A new nickname, just for my birthday. Lucky me.

I looked at him, preparing to deliver the final 'no', but James was looking at me with his big, sad, hazel eyes. I could almost hear his voice, imploring me to let them stay, for his Lily's sake. I felt myself beginning to melt.

"Damn you, James!" I groaned, stomping a foot. "It is so not fair of you to use the puppy dog eyes."

A spark of hope lit in his eyes. "Please, Rs?" The sad, help-me look became even more unbearable. As usual, I couldn't seem to find it in me to deny James anything. "Please?"

"If I beg too, would that help?" Sirius's voice broke the mental battle I was having with myself.

"Save your energy, Black." A malicious grin curled my lips up. "You can come… on two conditions."

"Whatever you say, Aria." Remus and Peter appeared, joining the other two in putting their hands over their hearts. I smiled even wider. Four was so much better than two.

"Condition Number 1: You can't embarrass us or act crazy or draw unnecessary attention like you normally do. You have to be polite and calm."

"We can do that!" James vouched confidently. The others nodded.

"And Condition Number 2…" My heart was thumping in my chest. I'd wanted to do this for so long. "You have to let me try and fix James's hair."

"What?!" Lily screeched. "That is your second condition? You could have had something like 'you have to stay silent' or 'you have to do whatever we say', but no. You want to mess with Potter's hair!"

"Look at it!" I defended myself. We all turned to look at James, whose hand jumped to ruffle that hair. It was spiky and tousled and all over the place. "You see! Poor James has probably lived his whole life missing out on opportunities because of his hair. Girls won't go out with him, guys won't play on his team, and mothers cover their babies' eyes, all because of that hair! But the time has come for change! From now on, James's hair will no longer be his downfall. It will be… completely, wickedly awesome!" I beamed, pleased to have so clearly gotten my point across.

James was looking at me oddly. "Many girls tell me my hair is sexy!"

Was he delusional? "Are you delusional?" Oops… said that out loud. Now that I have embraced the idea of speaking my mind, I tend to take it a little too far.

James self-consciously patted his hair. "Is it really that bad?" He looked to Lily, who has taunted him about his hair for forever. Did he think she just did it for fun?

Lily opened her mouth to reply but I cut her off. "James, there are orangutans out there with better hair."

James threw his hands over his head. "Chop it off! Just chop it off! I'd rather be bald!"

I moved as if I was going to acquiesce, but Lily jumped in front of me. "NO! Don't touch his hair Aria; I'll kill you, I swear! It's gorgeous and sexy the way it is!" She said this all very fast, the way a person does when they are blurting out a secret.

I had never intended to chop off James's hair at all. I'd merely meant to call his bluff. But this was… unexpected. An idea began to blossom in my head. Perhaps having the Marauders on my birthday would be a good thing after all.

James dropped his arms and stared at her, a goofy gin on his face. "You think my hair is gorgeous **and **sexy."

Here, I'd like to insert something. This is an important chemical equation for this story. You will be seeing this reaction a lot. Ahem.

**Lily + James + words like 'sexy – Lily being already mad at James = bright red Lily & a very pleased James**

Clear enough?

Lily turned beet red. "I only did it to assure you, so you wouldn't let Aria mess up your hair."

James persisted. "But you must like my hair if you don't want her to change it." Sometimes the pure and restrained attraction between those two was so intense you just wanted to shout, "Hurry up and snog, doggone it!"

"I do not like it!" Lily looked like she might hit someone. Probably James.

"Alright, break it up lovebirds." I needed to bring the happy couple back to real life. "James, Sirius, Remus, Peter… do you accept these conditions?"

"I do." Sirius was the first to confirm. His silver eyes were on me (when weren't they, these days?) and his hair was slightly wind blown. I resisted the urge to reach up and correct it.

"I do." James had figured out something was going on. It wouldn't take him too long to realize my brilliant idea, code named Operation: Get James and Lily Together Finally.

"I do." Remus was quiet, sticking to the back round. I had the oddest feeling that he knew more about me than I was really comfortable with. I needed to get to know him better. He would be a powerful ally, and good friend.

"I do." Peter followed the leader of course. Creeper.

The girls were glaring at me. I would have to fill Kristy and Rayne in on the Operation later, so they would understand. Oy Vey!

"Contrary to your request, Lily, I am going to do something about James's hair. But, I can promise it will not be permanent." I was watching my redheaded friend. It was important to see how she took it.

Lily harrumphed. "I don't care what you do to his bird's nest. Have fun."

I stuck out my tongue at her. "In denial," I muttered. I pulled James over to a nearby table and sat him down. "Let me just get a better idea of your hair." My hand hovered over his head for a minute before plunging into the black tornado.

His hair was soft, silky, and smooth, but it was stiff and stubborn as well. It reminded of someone else's hair, a long time ago. I ran my hand searchingly through the choppy black locks and James laughed.

"What?" My hand froze.

He laughed again. "It's like getting a head massage… it's nice."

I smiled, moving my hands again. "You have good hair, mate."

"Thanks mate." He paused. "Can I say something? It'll sound totally weird, but it's a kind of compliment."

"Shoot." I was highly aware that all of our friends were watching. Most looked bemused, but Lily looked murderous and Sirius's face was utterly devoid of emotion. I felt uncomfortable, seeing no feelings on that normally expressive face. He'd had Slytherin training too. I'd almost forgotten.

James spoke slowly and thoughtfully. "I just… if Sirius wasn't perfect for you and Lily wasn't my soul mate, I think I would totally think you were the one."

A shock went through our chums, but I just snorted. "Sadly, I had the exact same thought." I paused, winding a piece of his hair around my finger. "It wouldn't work though. There are things about you that I love as a friend, but would irritate the heck out of me if we were romantic."

James nodded. "We are much better like this, as good mates."

"I never thought I'd say this… but thank Merlin for Lily and Sirius." Then it struck me. I pulled my hands out of James's hair. "Sirius, get over here."

Sirius came slowly, but willingly. "You called, love?"

I rolled my eyes. Without speaking, I reached up and grabbed a piece of Sirius's hair.

I could feel him freeze in front of me. I knew what he would be thinking, but I ran one thumb down the strand of hair. It was just like I remembered it. Of course. He and James were practically twins, after all.

"Love." Sirius's voice was low, but clear. "When you are doing that, I feel very inclined to snog you on the spot. As I'm assuming you don't want to do that in public, you should probably stop."

I glared at him, moving quickly away. Everyone was looking at me like my hair had turned silver and green. "Sheesh people! I was just testing something. And I was right. Sirius's hair is just like James's. Texture-wise."

Kristy huffed, exasperated. "So you decided to feel Sirius's hair up to determine that?" Including the Marauders was not the wisest thing I could have done for our friendship. However… if she wasn't able to separate me from Sirius liking me, then maybe we hadn't been that good of friends after all. I had stayed her friend when she dated the guy I despised. She should be able to stay my friend while the guys she liked was in love with me.

"Yeah, I did." I shifted into a defensive stance. I felt like I was a cat, about to scratch Kristy's eyes out. Yikes. "As you can see, Sirius's hair is actually rather stylish. If hair of the same texture can look like that, I know I can style James's hair wonderful. I'm thinking a flatter, sleeker, anime sort of look."

"What is anime?" Sirius was racking his tiny brain for the answer. James was also confused, but not quite as obvious about it.

I slapped my forehead. "Don't you ever pay attention in Muggle Studies?"

"Uh… I might have once. Or twice."

"Well then, too bad. Figure it out yourself." I took the initiative, striding off down Diagon Alley. "Come on!" I called over my shoulder. "The days a-wastin' and we have a lot to do!" My friends easily caught up with me. James half hugged me on my right and Kristy took my hand, silently apologizing, on my left.

Suddenly, my day seemed so much better.

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**Hope you liked it! I'll try to update fast!**

**3 you all!**


	15. More Equations and Rhyming Bar Tenders

**Hey guys! School is over and summer has begun! And with summer, updates will become more regular, but also more erratic. Some weeks I may get three chapters up, while other weeks I may only manage one. I'll try and always post at least one chapter a week, but I can't guaruntee anything beyond that.**

**Thanks for reviewing last time! This is a really long chapter, I know, but I felt after that long wait, you deserved it!**

**So, read and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I wish I was JK, I wish I was JK, I wish I was JK. *glances around* Dang, these ruby slippers must be defective.**

**Translation: I am not JK, although I wish I was.**

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Sun bathed me in its warmth and I smiled, head tilted back to absorb the sunlight. This was one of the components of my perfect day. Let me put this into an equation for you.

**Sunny day + friends + hot boyfriend + fun = perfect day for Aria**

Today, I had three of the four ingredients. I was in my happy place.

"Aria!" I opened my eyes to see Lily standing impatiently before me. We were inside the most stylish boutique in Diagon Alley, shopping for ball gowns. I had selected mine ages ago, secretly, so I was mostly helping the others decide. Lily was holding two gowns, strapless, one gold and one emerald. The green one was clinging taffeta and the gold one had a puffy bottom. Evidently, Lily was having trouble deciding.

I barely glanced at them. "The green one." Green was my favorite color on Lily, period. She shouldn't have had to ask.

"It's not too Slytherin, is it?" She obviously liked the green dress better, but was worried, like usual, about House relations.

"I don't think you should be asking me. I am half Slytherin." I got a lot of amusement out of shoving this in their faces. They had been taught to believe all Slytherins were evil. When I talked proudly about being one by birth and training, it disconcerted them.

Lily made a face and turned away, but I noted with pleasure that she bought the green dress.

James strolled over to sit by my side, looking bored. We'd already visited all the stores that interested him. He had been eager enough to come here, envisioning Lily trying on dress after dress, but she had tried on dresses in the safety of her dressing room and refused to show us.

"Hiya James." I smiled at him. I had used a straightening solution in the hair supply store to smooth down his unruly locks and had used a gel spell to stick the strands in place. I could at last look at his hair without shuddering. It was pleasantly ruffled now, in that deliberate, cute way. He had liked it too, once he saw Lily's surprised expression. She had looked almost in awe, and had peppered me with questions on how I made this 'miracle' occur. She might have thought his hair was hot before, but now, it was positively burning.

"Rs." He collapsed next to me. Sirius, who had been hovering near me for most of the trip, came and sat on my other side. I let him. We hadn't fought nearly as much today, partly because I was in such a good mood. Today, I found even Sirius easily tolerable.

I yawned. "I'm beyond bored. And it's my birthday. That's just wrong."

James was practically lying on the floor. "Me too. Even Rayne and Kristy are done, but my Lily-kins seems to be an indecisive shopper. She's still looking for shoes and jewelry."

Hearing James say Lily's name jolted my mind into remembrance. I did have something good planned for today. I pulled myself upright. "Get everyone but Lily over here. I need to speak to you guys," I commanded James. Puzzled but willing, he stood up and strolled over to where the other four were located, bringing them discreetly in this direction.

Once they were all huddled around me, I began laying out my plan. "Alright guys, today is the day. Today… we are going to finally succeed in bringing Lily and James together!" Everyone looked surprised, and James was beaming.

"I'm all for that plan!" Kristy looked like she had just gotten why I had brought the boys along. She was nothing less than delighted.

Rayne looked more skeptical. "Not that I don't think that's a good idea… but exactly how do you propose we do that?"

I pursed my lips. She had brought up the one flaw in my mastermind plot. People had tried so many times to convince Lily of her feelings for James, but she either was horribly in denial or just didn't want to give in after all these years. We needed something so marvelously complex, yet simple, to finally get our desired results.

"To be perfectly honest…" I admitted, "I'm not quite sure how to do this. But, to come up with a plan, we need to figure out what Lily's soft spots are. What will really hit through that thick armor of hers."

"Well, what is Evan's biggest issue with James?" Sirius asked. "If we can convince her he's different than what she believes, it should be pretty easy."

I looked at Sirius in shock. "He… just… thought! Someone, send out the owls and sing thank Merlin! It's a miracle!"

Everyone ignored this, but Sirius, who looked properly put out for about two seconds, before reentering the conversation. I guess that when I throw darts at him all the time, it just isn't surprising anymore.

"Well…" Remus looked thoughtful. "From what I can tell, she basically thinks Prongs is a hot-headed, arrogant, toe-rag who doesn't give a damn about rules or responsibilities."

James blinked. "Moony, how'd you do that? Do you memorize her speeches or something?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "No, James. I just listen. It doesn't hurt, you should try it."

I gave a quick snort of laughter. "Seriously, James? After all the 4,618 times she's shouted that at you, you don't remember?

James gaped at me. "You count?"

I hit his forehead with the heel of my hand. "No, you idiot. I was joking."

"Anyhow." Rayne brought the conversation back to normality. "From what I can see, and what I've heard from Aria, James isn't any of those things. Lily may be slightly less prejudiced because Potter has Aria's good opinion. All we need is for those two to have a little alone time, where James acts natural and doesn't screw up."

"Excellent idea!" I pointed at her enthusiastically. "And to do that, all we need is a diversion where the rest of us can disappear!" I turned to the Marauders. "Lucky for us, we have the masters of diversions right here!"

James was grinning from ear to ear. "I'm on it Ari!"

I lectured the rest of the troops on our mission. "Now, it is of utmost importance that you disappear quickly and effectively. Don't worry about staying with other people. We will be meeting up at six o'clock at the Leaky Cauldron. That is in… three hours. Until then, we need to stay out of James and Lily's way. Keep on eye out, and avoid them at all costs! Understood?"

"Yep!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Got it!"

"Of course!"

"You bettcha!"

"On it, ma'am!"

"Wha?" Pettigrew's face was screwed up in concentration. My, it didn't take much to bewilder the poor boy. He was going to have to watch out. If he thought too much, it might permanently injure him. His forehead was so tight and wrinkled that it was hard to believe it was ever different.

James explained impatiently to Pettigrew, as if he was speaking to a baby. "When there is a big boom, run off quickly and go hide in a book shop far away. Hide from me and Lily."

"Lily and I," Kristy, Rayne and I all corrected at the same time. James stuck out his tongue at us, while we giggled.

"Guys?" Lily was holding a bag, which presumably contained her outfit for the ball. "Are you ready to go?"

"Sure are!" I jumped up, more than ready to put my devious plan into action.

We headed out of the shop into Diagon Alley once again. We set out at a comfortable pace, grouped together. I was determinedly keeping my eyes from James. "Where do you want to head next?"

No sooner had I finished my words, than a huge wind came and whipped up a mass of dirt from, well, nowhere. I could barely see a few inches ahead of me as I ran aimlessly, trying to get away.

A large hand grabbed mine, pulling me faster. "This way, Aria! Hurry up!" He dragged me into a dark, barely-there alley, pushing me up against the wall, hiding me. I glanced up at the long, dark strands of hair. Sirius. Of course. Just my luck.

Lady luck must have just hated me. Out of all the people that could have joined me, it had to be Sirius. I had to have been running towards what was probably the only dark alley in Diagon Alley. I had to be wearing a bright red dress, where he was wearing a black shirt and dark jeans. It had to be necessary for him to shove up against me to hide my red dress and distinctive gold hair. Just my bloody luck.

"Sh!" He pressed closer to me, watching the street. I was surprised; hadn't he noticed the uncomfortably close position we were in? Any moment, he would smirk and make some infuriating comment about how it was just my lucky day; that any girl would die for this. We were touching at every point; even our knees were touching. If I'd been a bit taller, our noses would have been grazing each other's faces.

As it was my face was pressed against a portion of shirt a few inches bellow his right shoulder. My hands on his stomach, able to feel just how much Quidditch had done for him. But I seriously doubted you could get that in shape from Quidditch. He probably did crunches or run or something. Definitely. Because I played Quidditch and I wasn't anywhere near that toned. Or maybe it was a guy thing. Or a Sirius thing. You never knew…

He let out a breath. "They're gone. It's safe." He looked down at me. "Oh, sorry for squishing you." He backed away slightly, giving me a few inches of personal space. The alley wasn't really that big.

"As long as they didn't see us." I pushed myself off of the wall, hoping I hadn't gotten grit on the back of my dress. We stepped cautiously out of the alleyway, him first, then me. Lily and James were nowhere in sight.

"So." I had no idea what to do. I had counted on finding one of the girls and hanging out with them, but they had done as they were told and disappeared as well. Even Remus and I probably could have figured something out. But Sirius? Our whole relationship was awkward at this point. Spending two hours with him would be a full out, gag inducing, wishing you were an ugly hag, experience. Well, maybe not wishing-you-were-a-hag. I'm not sure anything could make me wish that.

"So." He seemed casual, hands in his pockets. He was surveying the street, not even looking at me. How did he come off looking so cool and uncaring? Why couldn't I pull that?

"What'd you want to do?" I asked lamely. He glanced down at me in surprise.

"Well…" he drawled. "We could do two things. We could, of course, go off and make out somewhere."

"EW!"

"Or," he continued as if he hadn't said anything disturbing, "We could spy on James and Lily."

I blinked. Once. Twice. "That's a good idea."

He shook his head. "Merlin, Ari. You didn't think this out much, did you?"

I smiled ruefully. "It was kind of an impulse decision. If I had thought about it, I'm sure I could have thought of it myself."

"Ah." The smirk I'd been dreading lit his face. "You were just to distracted by my stunning good looks."

I snorted. "You wish." I set off down the street, trying not to let him get to me. I had to spend two hours with him, after all.

"Aria?" he called after me. I swung around to look at him. He was smirking. "They went in this direction." He pointed the opposite way.

…

Damn Sirius.

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I felt more obvious than Dumbledore at a wild party. Not that he doesn't attend them a lot, but he does stick out like a sore thumb. It's the white beard.

For me, my long, bright hair is a give away. Numerous times he had to yank me behind something, one arm around my waist and one hand covering my mouth, to keep us from being spotted. I'm sure James saw us, but Lily remained blissfully oblivious.

Our plan was not going as well as we'd hoped. James was talking incessantly to Lily, who occasionally responded, probably with a well-timed jab or sarcastic remark. Still, he looked delighted that she was actually listening to him and talking to him in the same time. Even better, she did not try to run away from them. It was progress, slow progress, but progress indeed.

After an hour, James not only looked more natural, but Lily looked slightly more interested and relaxed. They were talking more normally. Once, Lily even laughed, before catching herself and frowning.

At that point, I decided we should give them a little privacy. We watched as they moved out of sight, before stepping out from behind a palm tree. Yes, a palm tree. It was a very fat palm tree.

"What now?" Sirius looked bored out of his mind, not to mention out of ideas. I scanned the stores around us quickly. A pet shop, two clothing stores, a café and…

"Hey, Sirius? How do you feel about some chess?"

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The warriors were struggling. It had been a harsh battle. The enemy had been vastly more skilled in strategy, although equal in numbers. The few surviving fought to remain alive and keep their commander from sending more men to a positive death.

"You're going down Black!" I shouted. Just because I was losing terribly didn't mean I had to **actually** lose. I would win, once and for all!

"Sure, sure." He was lounging back in the rickety, café chair. He had evidently played chess a whole lot more than I had, for he was easily winning. Still, he was no longer bored. My constant threats of death had somehow **amused** him. He'd spent the whole game snickering.

"I mean it this time!" I threatened. It was my turn. I surveyed the board, ignoring my shouting chess pieces. Ah! Sirius had left his queen unguarded. If I moved my rook just there…

"HA! Got your queen! How awesome am I?" I cheered. "Told you Black!"

He merely smirked and moved a piece. "Checkmate, Colette."

"What?" I stared down at the board. It couldn't be true… and yet, it was! "NOOOO!" I flung myself onto the board. "It cannot be!" I stood and upended the board and all his pieces onto them. "Got you, NOW Black!"

"What the-" I was already running, vaulting over the short iron fence that enclosed the chess area. I glanced back to see if he was coming after me and I ran into something. Or someone.

"Mfft!" I puffed out, and backed up. "Oh, hi James!"

James's eyebrows were practically in his hair. "Hi, Rs. It's 6:10."

"And?" I arched an eyebrow.

Sirius came up beside me, ruffling his hair. He rolled his eyes and leaned down to whisper in my ear, "We were supposed to meet them in front of the Leaky Cauldron at 6."

"Oh!" I blushed. "Yes, well, we were playing chess the past couple of hours. Very close game…" Sirius snorted.

"Yeah… sure. Whatever." Lily came up, looking irritated, and I noticed the whole crew was back together. They must have come looking for us.

"What now?" Everyone looked expectantly at me. I guess this was my party.

"Well…" A brilliant idea struck me. I glanced at the café. "We still have an hour before the last amusement of the night. I suppose we can eat at this little café until then."

Rayne frowned. "We aren't going back to Hogwarts tonight?"

I shrugged. "Nah. Dumbledore said we could spend the night at the Leaky Cauldron if we wanted to, just as long as we got back bright and early tomorrow morning."

We trooped over to the little café, seating ourselves at the largest round table. Lily contrived to sit by Rayne, and James managed to sit by Lily. She didn't seem to mind much, which was a good sign. On Rayne's other side was Remus. The three of them immediately started some sort of bookie conversation. I tuned out quickly.

I was between Kristy and Sirius. Yeah. Not the most comfortable position to be in. Sirius seemed to sense that, and turned towards James, who was separated from him by Wormtail, and started to discuss some epic prank that he wanted to create on Halloween. I took a deep breath and turned to Kristy.

"So." How come all of my conversations start off like this?

"Well." She looked stiff and ill at ease. After all, the last time we had really talked, she had told me she wasn't sure we could be friends.

I racked my brain for a conversation starter. "Um… Do you still work for the Sirius Black fan club?" I mentally smacked myself in the head. I needed to steer our discussion away from Sirius, not make him the central theme.

Surprisingly, she brightened up. "Yeah I do. The girls there are really sweet, contrary to all beliefs. Just because they are in love with Sirius… well, that doesn't mean they don't talk about other things. It's more of a gathering of people, who, under other circumstances, wouldn't have anything in common, talking and learning about each other. You'd really like it, Ari. You should come."

I smiled. "I'd love to. All the girls I know in the club are really sweet, kind people. Just a little misguided."

Kristy sniggered. "Very misguided. Just the other day, Mary McDonald came into the meeting with a record of Sirius singing in the shower. They were all mooning over it."

"NO WAY!" I shrieked with laughter. "How'd she get that?"

Kristy was cracking up as well. "Apparently, she snuck into the boy's dormitory and hid under the sink. She, apparently, 'didn't peek, however the temptation' but 'couldn't resist recording his godly voice for us all to hear'."

I was trying very hard to not to snort while laughing. "I can't believe her!" I was doubled over with laughter.

When I finally managed to get a hold of my giggles, I looked up to see the whole table watching us. Lily was shaking her head. "You never fail to cause a commotion, do you, Rs?"

Are nicknames contagious? I swear, everyone is calling me Rs now. It's only been one day, damn it!

"I can't help it, Lils! It's an inherited genetic trait! Either you have it, or you don't! And you can't tell me **you** don't have it just as bad as I do!" I defended myself admirably.

Lily looked offended. "Since when have I ever caused a commotion?"

I looked at Kristy. Kristy looked at me. "Care to help me demonstrate, Kris?" I asked politely.

"But of course." We stood up, centering ourselves and channeling our characters.

Kristy appeared nonchalant, running a hand through her hair occasionally and glancing at me with puppy dog eyes. She spoke in a deep, masculine voice. "We will be changing names so as not to offend those involved." She waved a hand towards herself. "I am Tame Otter."

I portrayed a prim, haughty female. "I shall be called Pily Who-Shall-Never-Go-Out-With-Tame-Otter Shevens."

Kristy, or shall I say, Tame Otter turned towards me with a roguish grin. "Go out with me, Shevens?"

My face was contorted with fake horror. "NEVER SHALL I EVER GO OUT WITH YOU, TAME OTTER! BAHHHH!" I grabbed bunches of leaves and flung them at Kristy aka Tame Otter. "DIE, DIIIIIIIE!!!"

Our friends stared in shock as Kristy and I stepped out of our characters and placidly sat down at the table. "And that, Lily, is how you draw attention."

Lily was in a state of shock. Suddenly, on my left, Sirius began to chuckle. Then chortle. Then shake with laughter. Soon, the whole table but Lily was screaming with laughter. Lily blushed gracefully and threw a napkin at my head.

"Ari, you are more trouble than you are worth."

In between peals of laughter, I replied, "Love you too, Lily."

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We finished eating our meal around 7:30. The skies were dark and the streetlights lit the street with an eerie glow. All the children and parents had disappeared. Instead, teens and young adults walked the scene, heading for the next bar or party. I lead my flock easily through the almost empty streets. I had been here many times before and knew my way.

"Ari?" Lily called from behind me. "Where are we going?"

"To one of my favorite places in Diagon Alley," I replied. I stopped dead in front of a large club. "Black Cat bar and club."

"A club?" Lily sounded scandalized.

"That's right, Evans." Sirius, on the other hand, sounded delighted. "A club. It's a place young people go to drink and dance and generally have fun. Do you need a definition of fun, too?"

Lily drew in her breath to retort, but I cut her off. "It's Saturday night, so it'll be pretty crowded. Still, this is the best place in town. I go here all the time, during the summer when I can sneak out."

I pushed the door open, leading my friends inside. Music was blasting, and tons of people where dancing their hearts out on the dance floor. The bar was similarly crowded, probably with single people looking to hook up.

I headed straight for the bar, hoping that my favorite bartender would be there. They all knew me by name, since I tended to appear all the time during the summer, stay for hours, and tip generously. I pushed people out of the way to get to the front. Ah. Luck finally decided it liked me.

"Tom! Hey, Tom!" A man with long, choppy, dark hair and a gold hoop in his right ear looked my way and grinned from ear to ear. He moved quickly to where I was.

"Aria Colette! A delight, and on a school night! Something to drink, perhaps something pink? What's the occasion, a friend who's Parisian?" His voice had a lilting Irish accent.

I smiled at his usual rhymes. "It's my birthday. I'm here with a few friends. Seven to be precise. Firewhiskeys, please?"

"But of course, the ones with the horse! (**What he means is that Firewhiskeys have a horse picture somewhere on the bottle…)** Coming right up! Don't fret, little duck!" He slammed eight Firewhiskeys in front of me. "Here's for the birthday girl! Worth much more than any pearl!" He kissed my cheek and moved on, attending the next customer. I blew him a kiss and pushed away from the bar, Firewhiskeys in hand.

My friends were leaning against the wall, taking in the club in their various ways. James and Sirius looked excited, while Remus was wary. Peter was awed, and looked like he might wet his pants. Kristy was bouncing up and down, enthusiastic, where Rayne and Lily looked sternly disapproving.

"Here you go!" I passed out the Firewhiskeys. "Drink up, me 'earties, yoo hoo!"

Lily sneered at me. "What a wonderful pirate." The sneer fell from her face, though, when she saw the drinks. "Firewhiskeys! You have got to be kidding me. We're underage!"

I blinked. "So?"

"**So** it's against the law!"

"And?"

"Ari, we can't disobey the law?"

"We can't?"

"Gr!"

"This is good."

I had been drinking Firewhiskeys since I was fourteen. Honestly, it didn't seem like that much of a big deal for me.

The Marauders and Kristy didn't have that much of an issue with it either. Rayne looked at her bottle carefully, before warily taking a sip. Her eyes lit up with delighted surprise and she took a deeper swig. "Come Lils! It's wonderful!"

Lily took a deep breath. "Here goes breaking the law." She closed her eyes, putting the bottle to her lips and taking a long drink. Her eyes flew open in shock. "This stuff is really good!" She continued to try and down the bottle in one drink.

I turned to Kristy. "I think we are about to see Lily Evans drunk for the first time."

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A few hours, and a few drinks, later, Lily, Rayne and Kristy were completely smashed. I was merely slightly intoxicated, along with the boys. After all, we probably drank a lot more often than the goody girls.

Rayne was laughing loudly and crushing on Remus. He looked mildly surprised, but was very willing when she pulled him onto the dance floor. James and Lily were laughing their heads off together, leaning against the wall and talking in voices varying from loud to louder. I had been dancing on and off, occasionally chatting with my friends. I felt so incredibly happy.

I was dancing again before I knew it, some guy in front of me. I glanced up. Oh, Sirius. In my half drunk state, I didn't really mind, letting the music take me away and give me release.

I don't know how long I was dancing with Sirius, before Kristy staggered up. "Aria!" she shouted. "You have got to come see this."

She pulled me back to where I had left my friends. And a surprising sight met my eyes. Lily and James were entwined, practically eating each other's faces. Her hands were in his hair, and his arms were wrapped around her waist. After a few seconds, they surfaced, panting and blown away.

"What was that for?" I heard James ask in a wondering voice.

Lily's words were easier to hear. "That was because I've been in bloody love with you for three years and I am tired of denying it!"

…

I guess Operation: Get James with Lily, Finally worked.

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**MUA HA HA HA!**

**It's a cliff hanger! I think we are all glad that Lily finally admitted it, even if it took her getting drunk… *sigh* She's so stubborn.**

**Next chapter will be up as so as possible.**

**Please review!**

**And, please, don't trash. I know this chapter isn't my best, but I did have a bit of a deadline. You try writing 4,500 words in three hours!**

**I love you all!**


	16. Eyes that Can't Lie

**Hi! I cannot tell you how sorry I am for the terribly long wait. Between writer's block and a very busy summer, I just couldn't seem to finish this. But it's finally done! Yay!**

**Now, please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Do you know how exhausted I am of saying I'm not JK? So tiring… *yawn***

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"Blergh!" Bright light shone into my eyes. I blearily raised my head and squinted at the light. Oh, damn the sun. It was morning already and sunlight was peaking through the window. I heard similar noises of pain from my friends, strewn around on the other bed, couch and floor. I propped myself up on my elbows. Headache. Stupid hangovers. I fumbled for my wand, pointing it at my head and muttering the spell to cure my pain. Instantly, I was wide-awake, headache gone. I glanced around me. Lily and Rayne were the worst, slumped on the ground, arms curled around their heads. Kristy was a little bit more awake, blinking at me painfully.

"I always say I'll never drink again," she groaned. "But somehow I never remember that."

I smiled at her, tiptoeing across the floor to where she was lying on the bed. "Here." I pointed my wand at her head and cured her hangover. She sighed with relief, flopping back down.

Lily moaned loudly. "Stop stomping!" She was curled in a fetal position. I stifled a laugh at seeing Lily Evan's first hangover. Who would have thought the Head Girl of Hogwarts would actually imbibe in an illegal drink? I quickly cured both her and Rayne, who stretched and smiled.

"Never thought I'd get hung over," she giggled. She seemed to be taking everything rather well. She pulled herself up and ran her hands through her dark hair. "I don't remember getting back to the Leaky Cauldron. Where are the boys?"

I jerked my thumb towards the right wall. "Other room. They've probably already eaten and everything." I glanced at Lily, who was sitting bolt upright, looking horrified. No doubt the events of the previous evening had just come back to her. I pretended not to notice, giving her some time to sort out her thoughts. I would be confused if I woke up and realized that I had gotten drunk, snogged the boy I'd said I hated, and admitted I'd loved him for three years.

I yawned. "Come on, guys. Let's get ready and head back to Hogwarts. I have a feeling that they're missing us."

A sudden violent banging startled me, and I jumped about three feet. "WHAT THE HELL!" I screamed. I strode angrily to the door and yanked it open, staring angrily at the Marauders. "Did you ever consider we might still be sleeping, or have hangovers or something?"

James winced. "Sorry. I just got a letter from Dumbledore delivered by one of the staff. He wants us to Floo in at 10… and it's 9:45."

"CRAP!" We girls screamed simultaneously. Our room was instantly a flurry of motion, each of us scrambling to pick up all of the many items strewn across the furniture and floor.

Within the limited time of fifteen minutes, we had managed to get downstairs, stuff some breakfast in our mouths, and look somewhat presentable enough to be Flooed back to Hogwarts. We landed in Dumbledore's office, and were quickly welcomed and sent on our merry ways, each of us scrambling in different directions. Lily, I noticed, ran off the quickest. James looked longingly after her, but headed instead towards the Quidditch pitch. Before I quite realized it, only Sirius and I were left, trudging towards the Gryffindor Common Room.

We walked quietly, without any unnecessary talking. Spying, playing chess, and dancing all in the same day… it was an odd feeling, the day after what some would call a lot of intimacy. Honestly, yesterday had kind of reminded me of how it used to be when Sirius and I had dates after curfew in the castle. It was always fun, spontaneous and all over the place. Maybe that was why I liked it. I loved that **this** was a person who could match my frantic energy, even calming me down a bit, focusing me.

I couldn't think of that. I could never think of that. Thinking of how much I had truly **liked** him wouldn't do me any good now. I looked up to find myself in front of the Fat Lady.

"Password."

I couldn't help it; I turned to Sirius. "Thank you," I told him, not insincerely, "I have a feeling that you were responsible for deciding to crash my birthday. Truthfully, it wouldn't have been the same without you, James and Remus. So… thanks." I muttered the password and speedily ducked inside the Common Room, before he could respond with words that would make me think about how, at one time, I'd honestly thought I could fall in love with him.

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"Quidditch."

I looked up to see James standing at the foot of my bed, where I had been camping all day, opening presents and answering correspondences. Three letters lay across my desk; one to my parents, one to Cissy (who had decided it was better to talk with letters than actually talk, for Gryffindor/Slytherin reasons) and one to my American pen pal, a distant relative of mine who I hadn't seen for a few summers. My presents were stacked in a neat pile on top of my trunk. I won't bore anyone with listing everything I got. Only two items are of real interest to this story.

Now that I was seventeen, I had my own Gringotts vault. My parents had sent me the key, along with a sheet of paper explaining exactly what was in it. Only now did I find out that my late Grandmother Malfoy had left me a significant amount of money, along with a summerhouse, and a small jewelry store located near it. The keys to both the summerhouse and store were in the vault.

While it was pleasant to learn that Grandmother Malfoy thought so well of me, it was not pleasant to learn that Sirius had bought me yet another present. This one wasn't jewelry, no, it was worse than that. It was a rare book full of complicated charms and little known hexes, something he must have known I would adore. I had spent most of the day flipping through it, resolving to try out these spells as soon as I could.

But now, I had been jolted out of reading by James Potter, who had apparently found some way to get into the girl's dorm. I glanced at the window. Of course. I'd left it open. He'd flown in.

"Quidditch, Ari." I looked back up at him. He was a wreck. He must have already been flying for hours. Lily-issues, perhaps? She had been holed up in the library since we got back.

"Now?" I reached for my work out clothes. "A little impromptu, isn't it?"

James shrugged, not even looking at me. "Match tomorrow. Good to prep." Without even a goodbye, James remounted his broom and zoomed out the window, back into the crisp autumn air. I threw my sweats and a tank top hurriedly, then grabbed my broom and followed him.

The Gryffindor Qudditch team was clustered on the pitch, probably having an inspirational talk. I hovered above them for a few seconds, watching as Maxie and Amelia tried to flirt with Sirius, Alfred stayed by his lonesome self, and Rick talked at James. A whole little world existing on its own. I spiraled down to take my place.

"Aria!" Of course Sirius would notice me as soon as I landed. I gave him a quick nod before looking at James who… was awful. Just awful. Dead to the world, that one was. I exchanged a worried look with Sirius.

In a moment, he was at my side. "Yeah. Intervention time."

We approached James, pulling him away from Rick. He barely seemed to notice. It broke my heart to see him like this, almost not knowing where he was, devoid of life. "James," I called softly. "James, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing." He brushed off my hand, not even looking at me. That hurt more than I thought it would.

"Look, mate." Sirius was trying to catch James's eye. "You look like hell. Talk to us. What have you got to lose?"

James groaned and ran a hand through his rumpled hair. I nearly smiled as he did so, knowing he would talk now. "What have I got to lose? Only the love of my life."

My and Sirius's eyebrows rose in sync. "Lily issues?" we blurted out at exactly the same time. I frowned briefly Sirius before returning my attention to James.

James looked at both of us, utterly impassive. I fidgeted anxiously under his steady, direct gaze. Then, with absolutely no warning, he sank down on the grass.

"Yeah," he moaned, hands over his face. "Lily issues."

Cautiously, I knelt beside him, lightly resting my hand on his shoulder. "What happened?"

He glared at me in such a way as to show he thought it obvious. "Oh, I don't know. I get smashed, snog the girl I'm completely in love with, have her tell me she loves me, and then get totally ignored the day after. Nothing big."

I sighed. "James, she just needs some time to get used to the idea that her feelings are in the open. Remember, she's kept all this inside for quite some time. You can't expect to just start dating you."

"I don't expect that!" James shook his head back and forth. "I just… she doesn't… I don't even know if what she said was true, or if she was simply drunk! She's avoiding me, and that's worse than fighting with her, or having her hate me. After all, the true opposite of love is indifference. Hate… that can become love any time, or vice versa. Look at you two." Sirius and I looked at each other obediently. I guess I could see James's point. After all, I'd fancied Sirius quite a bit before he cheated on me. A few minutes had turn that love into a bitter hatred, which was now a wary friendship, I suppose.

James continued. "I went to her in the library, told her we could just forget about it, if she wanted to. But she barely looked at me. Told me I could do anything I wanted. Wouldn't say anything else." James looked mental, hands fisted in his hair and eyes mad with distress. "If she doesn't talk to me, what am I going to do? She's the very reason for my existence, I know it. I've loved since I first saw her. I've loved her when she's only hated me. I thought I would spend the rest of my life loving her without her reciprocating. And then… last night… I got a taste of how good my life could be. I could feel how really, truly loving her would feel. It's driving me crazy. I can't live without it now. It's worse than any drug. You're addicted at first kiss."

I hid a smile. "James… you've already loved her, with all your heart. Now, you're adding being loved onto that. Being loved **is** addicting, I would know. Don't you know how many times I've gone farther than I should because I felt so loved when a guy was kissing me? But don't confuse that with your actual love for her. They are separate things."

Sirius nodded. "Trust me James. I've been on both ends of the spectrum. You've never felt loved in that way before, and you are getting mixed up because of it. Stay sane, mate. Lily's probably just as confused as you are. Don't do anything rash. Keep loving her. If you really need to confront her about it, do it tomorrow. Let both of you sleep on it." He glanced at the sky. "For now, let's fly. Put your emotion into flying. That's what I do."

Slowly, like an old man, James got to his feet. He seemed slightly calmer. "All right." His face was set. "Let's fly."

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It was a long night of practice. Sirius worked us hard, getting all our anxious jitters out. He released each team member as he saw fit. Maxie, Amelia, and Rick were all dismissed after only an hour of work. Another half hour saw Alfred leaving, until it was just Sirius, James and I on the pitch. We flew until Remus and Pettigrew (creeper alert) arrived with a basket full of warm food from the kitchens.

"We thought you might be hungry!" Remus called up at us. James and I glanced at Sirius, who nodded his assent, and we all descended to the ground together.

"Thank Merlin for you, Remus," I muttered, diving for the basket. "I thought he'd never let us down to eat."

Remus shook his head. "I'm afraid Sirius is a little bit of a tyrant on the Quidditch field."

I spared him a quick grin. "I've noticed."

The food was hot and filling. I enjoyed munching away at a raspberry tart while watching the boys' lively banter. James seemed better after a quick fly and food with friends, and I couldn't help being happy he was happier. James's happiness had become connected to mine, but strangely, I didn't mind at all.

I was contemplating this when a spoonful of soft beans hit me in the face. I gasped at the sudden wet, wiping my hand across my face and looking up accusingly.

James looked appropriately guiltily. "Sorry Rs. It was an accident."

I narrowed my eyes at my attacker. "Or was it?" Without stopping to think, I grabbed a small slice of bread covered with jam, mashed it into a serviceable ball, and launched it at James. The jam splattered satisfyingly across his face. I let out a loud triumphant laugh.

James wiped the jam off his face slowly with a napkin, all the while glaring at me. My muscles tensed, preparing to flee.

James's mouth opened and uttered those four words.

"It is so on."

I sprang up from my seat and ran with all my might away from the jammy James. Luckily, I thought to bring some ammo with me. I whipped around and flung a handful of tapioca pudding straight at where I thought James was. I was no Chaser, but I hit James solidly on his chest.

After that, the details aren't clear. Everyone was throwing food, and we were getting more and more filthy. I didn't even recognize whom I was throwing at anymore. The best judge was the sound of laugher: James sweet tenor, Sirius's loud barks, Remus's quiet chuckles, Pettigrew's nervous giggles. As I ran and threw, I was laughing full force. I'd never had a food fight before. Who knew it was so much fun?

Eventually, I ran out of food, and air. I bent double, shaking with laughter. "Surrender!" I called out as someone chucked more food at me. "I surrender!" I fell to the ground, the grass under me just as dirty as I was.

The boys stopped throwing, looking at each other, laughter still ringing in the air. "Wow. That was fun." James sounded so much better than he had a few hours ago, panting and grinning. He pushed the muck off of his face and I could recognize him again. He beamed right at me. "Aria, you look gorgeous with those beans all over you."

I shot a sarcastic glare at him. "James, you never looked lovelier. I just really want to snog you right now."

Luckily, no one took that the wrong way.

"Yeah, well…" He spread his arms wide. "Lily-kins has the first claim to all this gorgeous-ness." A flash of pain crossed his face again. "In fact… this has helped me decide what I'm going to do. I can't just sit here moping. I need to confront her! And I will! Tomorrow morning."

I sat bolt upright. "Before the Quidditch match!" This could be really bad. If she turned him down, he would probably play like crap.

Sirius seemed equally concerned. "James, mate, think it through. Ask her after. That's more sensible."

James stubbornly shook his head. "It's tomorrow morning, or never."

I looked hard at my best friend, covered in the remnants of our food fight. His face was set, his chin thrust out in a decided manner. His eyes glinted with determination. I sighed. "All right mate. I wish you the best." I stood up and wrapped my arms around him. He responded easily, naturally, hugging me back. I couldn't help but feel we were made to be friends.

I pulled away, but intertwined our fingers. "Come on. Let's get back to the castle. We need our rest." Together, the Marauders and I walked slowly back to the Gryffindor dorms where, after a good shower, we went to sleep, anxious for the day before us.

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I woke up, slowly stretching and yawning. Something important was going to happen today… but I couldn't remember what. I glanced over at Lily, who looked absolutely emotionless and somewhat in shock.

"AH!" I sprang up. I remembered now. "OH, BY MERLIN'S PANTS! THE QUIDDITCH MATCH IS TODAY!" A thousand butterflies were working hard in my stomach to make me way queasier than I wanted to be. I felt sick. I rushed to the bathroom to try and throw up, but nothing happened. I was breathing hard, trying to calm down.

With much struggle from Kristy and myself, I finally got ready. As she marched Lily and I down the stairs towards the Great Hall, I drug my feet like I was walking to the executioners. After all, I was playing Quidditch. In front of a whole school full of people who thought I couldn't lift a Beater's bat, much less swing it. Well, they probably thought I could swing it after they saw my tryout. But still, only one fourth of the school saw my tryout, which means there is three fourths that think I'm not capable and are going to jeer at me in the Hall. Well, maybe they won't jeer, because they're nice like that. But they'll be thinking I can't do it and-

I will spare you the rest of my rambling. Suffice to say it went on for quite a while. We entered the Great Hall, and I saw the bright red and gold of my teammates. I stumbled to sit down next to James and stared at my food like I didn't know what it was. All the rest of the team seemed to be eating, except Alfred, the only other new member. We grimaced at each other before resuming our deadpan at our plates.

Suddenly, I felt a shift beside me. James was standing up, that same light in his eyes that I had seen last night. I could feel myself panicking. He really was going to do it. He was going to talk to Lily.

He strode down the table to where she was sitting. He took a deep breath. "Lily."

She looked up at him, almost seeming frightened. "Potter." She was trying to sound aloof and cold but her voice shook slightly on the word. The Great Hall was alert, sensing something different than in Lily-James confrontations before.

"Look Lily." James was looking straight into her eyes. "If you want to forget it, you can forget it. But I can never forget it. You can't just tell me you were drunk or… or… something! I saw real feelings in your eyes. Your eyes can't lie, Lily, just like you can't lie to both yourself and me anymore. You said you **loved** me. You can't just take that back and pretend you never said it. It's out there, I **heard **it. And now I want to you to tell me why you're avoiding me and hiding from me. If you don't want a relationship, that's okay. If you don't want to be around me, I'd like to hear from you, instead of being dodged in the hallways. I'm sick and tired of the games, Lily. I loved you and you said you loved me. So, I'm going to ask one more time, and this is the last time. Will you, Lily Evans, go out with me?"

The silence in the Great Hall was so thick, you could hit it with an axe and it wouldn't break. No one could believe what he or she was seeing. All eyes were on Lily as she gaped at James.

She swallowed. "I…" She glanced around at all the staring people. "I… I was drunk. And that **is** why I said it. I wouldn't have said it, otherwise. It's just…" She seemed to draw on something inside herself.

"I never really knew, you see. Like Ari says, I was in denial. I didn't want to like you, because you **were** such an arrogant git, or so it seemed to me. You're not. I know that now. But…" Her fists clenched. "I had to figure myself out James, before I said anything to you. But I can say it now." She looked him directly in the eyes and he looked stunned. "I meant every word I said. I love you and I have loved you for as long as I've known you, practically. And…" She blushed. "I'd…" She squeezed her eyes shut and said the words all of Hogwarts had been waiting to hear. "I'd love to go out with you, James Potter."

The look of complete happiness on James face was so bright that it was hard to look at. I could feel myself tearing up as he took her hands and pulled her into his arms, where she had belonged for so long.

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**Again, so sorry for the long wait. But wasn't it worth it! James and Lily are together! Yay! Quidditch game up next.**

**Please review! Love to you all!**


	17. Bludgers to France

**Hey there!**

**So guess what? I started school again, that's what. I'm taking some pretty intense classes, so updates here are going to be really irregular. But don't worry; there will be updates! **

**I'd also like to mention another fanfic I started. It's a RosexScorpius one. I will be putting up the second chapter today, so please go check it out!**

**Without further ado, here is the story!**

**Disclaimer: If you expect JK here, you've called the wrong number.**

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James and Lily had gone from the being the most entertaining couple in the school to the most disappointing in a matter of minutes. After Lily had finally accepted James, he had pulled her into his arms. The Great Hall had burst into cheers. Even some of the teachers had clapped. We all waited in anticipation for the long awaited Lily-James kiss. Well, I'd already seen that, but still. They weren't officially Lily-James then. But instead, they pulled back, smiled, and sat down next to each other to resume eating.

…

No snogging.

No half-hugging.

No feeding each other food.

Not even any handholding.

With all eyes upon them, Lily and James chose to eat.

Honestly, I couldn't help rolling my eyes. If it'd been me, I would've reveled in the spotlight. Kissed my guy then and there. Sat in his lap and cuddled. Or, if I didn't want to be watched, I would've tugged him out of the Hall, presumably for a good snog. Not sat down and acted like nothing had changed.

You would have thought that two people so in love (insert me rolling my eyes)(and don't misunderstand the eye roll; I fully believe that they're in love, but it's just so cheesy to say it. Anyhow.) You would have thought that two people so in love would want to do more than just sit there, eating and talking, after finally admitting denied feelings and deciding to have a relationship with the love of their life. But apparently not.

I wondered vaguely, staring at my newly dating friends, whether love canceled out lust, or vice versa. It would appear James and Lily (who had snogged like wild animals a few nights back) felt absolutely no lust now that they were officially 'in love'. I, on the other hand, often felt nothing but lust in most of my relationships, which is probably why they revolved around first flirting, then snogging and finally shagging. Hey, I never said I was innocent.

Yet, I could never long for love if it meant giving up the physical aspect. But I'd always wanted a fairy tale love, complete with knight in shining armor. There seemed to be very little room to compromise.

"Oi, snap out of it!" A large hand waved in front of my face. I blinked, and followed the arm attached to the hand back to a large body. Silver eyes glowed into mine. "I hate to pull you out of fantasies about me, but it's time to get ready for the game."

The game.

…

Crap.

Lily and James had totally distracted me. Now, all the sick, nervous energy flooded back into my body and I was as frantic as before. Sirius saw the horror in my eyes and placed a calming hand on my shoulder.

"Calm down, Ari. You'll do fine." His eyes, blazing into mine, dared me to object. "I chose you for a reason. You are a great Beater, and one of the few people who can be really in sync with me. Twin energy, remember? Calm down, and don't let your nervousness screw your head up."

It was odd. I'd never had one of those moments where someone says they have absolute faith in you. I'd always thought it would be fake or contrived, not what I needed to hear. But as I looked into Sirius's eyes, I believed him. I could practically see into his head. He'd put me on the team, not only because I was a great flier, but also because he knew me and I knew him. I knew him well enough that 'twin energy' was never an issue. I tried to deny it, but he was one of the three people in this world that I knew as well as my own soul. Cissy, James… and Sirius. I wasn't just the girl he loved. I was someone important, and smart, and skilled, and I could do this.

As a group, the Gryffindor Quidditch team stood, James hugging Lily good-bye, and walked together down to the team locker rooms. I ducked into the girl's, quickly changing, before heading out into the main area where we would wait to go out onto the field. A deep calm had settled into me, and I sat on one of the many benches without fidgeting, or worrying my hair, or pacing.

Sirius came in only seconds after I did, and grinned at me, plopping himself down beside me. "So."

"So." A topic of interest immediately came to mind. "It happened after all these years. James and Lily are… together."

Sirius chuckled. "Merlin, I'm glad he didn't give up all those times I told him to. But it kind of makes me a bit sad. I'm not going to be as necessary to him anymore."

I waved a hand, dismissing this. "Pish posh. Lily's his girlfriend, not his best friend. Besides, it should be giving you some absurd hope. Guy finally gets the girl and all that."

He turned to look directly at me, eyebrows raised. "Are you saying something?" His voice was jokingly suggestive.

I was used to this sort of thing, dealt with it all the time, but for some reason I blushed. "You wish."

He snorted. "I knew it was too good to be true." He ran a hand through his hair, in an almost James-ish fashion. "Lily is a completely different person than you, and she didn't have nearly as much reason to hate James. I mean, let's face it. I cheated on you. I screwed up. I only went out with you because of some demented plan of mine. We both know that you could do much, much better."

Sirius Black is not an insecure person. He is not the sort of person who says something like this. He absolutely does not think that other guys are better than him. I stared at him in shock. "Who are you and what have you done with the bastard whose been obnoxiously pining over me?"

"Petrificus Totalus, in a broom closet." Sirius muttered absent-mindedly under his breath. He wasn't really into the joking, but then again, neither was I.

I swallowed. "Look…" His eyes were too bright to stand. I looked down at the wood under my fingertips and began tracing the patterns. "You… did that to help me. It could have been better done, sure, but it was a well-meant gesture. And… any girl would be lucky to have you." At the end, I looked up at him. It was so strange, the second time in fifteen minutes that I had, completely openly, gazed into those perfect silver eyes. What was even stranger was the pull I could feel, tugging me towards him. We were both leaning in, and our faces were only inches apart. My eyes began to drift shut…

"Who's ready to fly?" James banged into the room with unusual gusto and Sirius and I jerked apart. I fell off my bench, landing with a thud on the floor.

James surveyed the two of us. "Do I want to know?"

I picked myself up, brushing of my uniform. "We were just startled."

On any other day, James would have noticed this small deception. But this was the James who had finally been accepted by Lily and was currently living on cloud nine. He didn't notice a thing.

He shrugged; grin permanently etched on his face. "Can you believe it? She loves me. And, we're going out! Like, as a couple! Romantically! Me and Lily!"

I smiled warmly at him, striding over to give him a hug. "That's great, James. You guys are made for one another."

He hugged me back, squeezing. "I know, right? I've known it, ever since the first day…" His hazel eyes became dreamy with memories.

I shook my head, pulling away. "Please. Try to keep yourself on this planet."

"I'm not sure I can." His voice was liquid joy. "I feel so light. I could fly."

"Good." Sirius had come up behind me, without me noticing. I jumped, feeling his body only a step behind mine. For some reason, it was slightly harder to breathe. "Because you need to fly. And well. We have a game, remember?"

"Of course!" James was indignant. "Against Hufflepuff. Easy peasey."

"That's what you think." Alfred said darkly as he entered. Behind him was Rick, not looking the least bit nervous. But then again, I wasn't sure Rick had a humble or self-conscious bone in his body.

"Siri!" Macy and Amelia entered, giggling. "Are you going to give a speech?" I'd liked these two at first, but they seemed to get sillier and sillier.

"Right. A pep talk." Sirius rubbed his palms together, and he all circled around him. I kept myself next to him, with James on my left. He leaned in, as if telling a secret, and the rest of us leaned in as well.

"We are flying against Hufflepuff today. And you may say, 'oh, the Puffs are an easy win, we got it in the bag'. And it's good to be confident. But that doesn't mean that you are allowed to slack off and abandon your teammates out on the pitch. We are going to go out and play all out. Show 'em what we got! We are the best team at this school; one of the best teams this school has ever had, I bet. We've got James, who manages to psychically Confund the Keepers. We've got Amelia, who practically has ESP when it comes to when someone is going to drop the Quaffle. We've got Macy, who is always there for a pass. We've got Rick, who is physically incapable of letting in a Quaffle. We've got Alfred, who can see a mosquito a hundred miles away. We've got Aria" -His eyes connected with mine- "who could hit a Bludger to France, while aiming, and hitting the Eiffel Tower. And, of course, we have magnificent me, to bring you all together. Now, let's go out there and kick some badger ass!"

Determination bubbled up inside of me, and suddenly my hand was in the middle, laying over Sirius's, with James's on top. My teammates all there, hands in the center. "Gryffindor!" we shouted, throwing our hands in the air.

It was time. We were ready.

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To this day, I can't remember what happened during that match. I remember going out onto the great, grassy field, with the crowd roaring. In the stands, I could see Lily, Rayne, and Kristy with a huge poster, just for me. It said, 'Bunny Queen: hear her roar!' I remember beaming, trying to disguise my sweaty palms and quick breathing. I remember Sirius taking my hands right before we mounted our brooms, giving me that look that said 'twin energy' without him needing to say a word. I remember the blue sky, the feeling of flying, and the joy of being with my team. I remember spotting Cissy in the crowd, impassive as always, and wanting to make her proud.

The game itself is a blur. My hair tied back with three red and gold bows, my hands clenching on the Beater's bat, my eyes narrowed in determination. James scoring, so many times I lost count, Rick saving Quaffle after Quaffle, Alfred below me, searching. Macy and Amelia working as an inseparable team, passing back and forth like they were playing Monkey in the Middle. Flying around trying to hit the Bludgers, seeing them connect and shouting. And Sirius, always there to help when I needed him, ready with eyes full of encouragement in my moments of doubt. Alfred, speeding after the Snitch, far ahead of the competition. Winning. Screaming and flying to hug my teammates, our sweaty bodies pressed against each other. Wanting to kiss them all because I loved this so much, I was so happy. Seeing Cissy cheering, hair floating free in the wind. Landing in a great huddle of tangled limbs, voices hoarse but happy.

On the ground our supporters waited. Lily, Rayne and Kristy were in the front, and they rushed to embrace me. Finally, we were whole again, all of us friends without anything between us.

"Oh my god, you were great!" Kristy screamed, her voice high and bubbly.

"You were spectacular, Ari!" Lily beamed at me, before pulling away. I turned to watch her, and saw her embrace James, pulling him close, her lips meeting his.

Oh.

So there was lust.

Rayne pulled my attention away from the wildly snogging couple by pulling on my sleeve. "I wish I could fly like that, Ari! You're a natural!"

"And you guys are the best friends in the world!" I embraced the two of them, but I didn't only mean them. I meant, Lily as well, and James, and Remus, and Cissy, and maybe even Sirius. So many people. My heart felt ready to burst.

"Oi, Aria!" I could hear Sirius's voice easily over the crowd. The surrounding people quieted down, probably hoping for another miracle along the lines of James-Lily. Too bad for them.

I turned around, unable to wipe the grin off my face. "What Black?"

He too looked ecstatic, and more like he was joking than anything else. "Go out with me?"

"Wait a moment." By now the crowd was virtually silent, watching. I looked over at Lily, who was still clinging to James, but no longer engaging in mouth to mouth. She was watching. "This is totally déjà vu. Except, you should be James and I should be Lily…"

Lily smirked at me. "Now you know how it feels."

I stuck out my tongue at her. "Witch."

She laughed, snuggling closer to James, and I rolled my eyes, turning back to Sirius, whose eyes were dancing with amusement. "Sorry Black. Try again on any day that doesn't end in a y."

Peter, who was standing nearby, frowned. "There isn't any day that doesn't end in a y…"

I grinned wider. "Precisely."

Sirius shook his head. "Another day. I'll win your heart yet." He turned to the crowd. "Come on, cheer! James and Lily are together, I'm in love and GRYFFINDOR WON!" Screams and cheers resurfaced in the crowd, bursting out into a wild, bubbling mass again. Sirius slung an arm over my shoulders and gave me a half hug. He put leaned down, and his lips brushed my ear. "Thank you love. You were magnificent. Like always." The words could have been platonic, but the way he said them was anything but. A shiver rolled down my spine.

Unfortunately, he felt him. I could feel him smirk. "When you're ready, give me a call." He pulled back, smirking once at me, then turning his back and walking away. I stood gaping after him, only to release that several people were watching with wide, ready-to-gossip eyes.

Damn.

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**So… what'd you think? Review! Tell me!**

**Love you guys!**


	18. Puppies and Parakeets

**HEY!**

**So this has been a pretty quick update! Turns out, French class is a great place to write fanfiction. Lol. (But no, I'm not kidding. My French teacher is THAT bad.)**

**I'll have a lot to say at the end of the chapter... so stick around!**

**Enjoy reading!**

**Disclaimer: Aria- Notice how the word 'bloody' is significantly lacking from this story? That's how you can tell JK didn't write it.**

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The victory party was comparatively tame. The Marauders had been absent during the planning (they were in Diagon Alley, for my birthday). The Sirius Fan Club had stepped up to the plate, and thus the party was more Sirius worship than anything else. After only a few minutes, Lily, Rayne, Kristy and I retreated to our dorm.

Rayne had decided to stay the night here in the lion den. She'd been spending more and more time with us. Sharing our dorm? Something I'd been expecting for a while.

Everyone else was down in the Common Room, trying to get high off of Chocolate Frogs and Butter Beer. We could hear them from the dorm, laughter and loud voices. Here, it was just the four of us, having the first bit of girl time in quite a while.

"So." Lily was sitting cross-legged on the carpet in the center of the room.

"So." The rest of us moved to join her. I lay on my back, closing my eyes, exhausted.

"Let's **do** something." Kristy clapped her hands once, to wake us up. "Just sitting here is boring."

"What'd you want to do?" Rayne yawned, covering her mouth with a hand.

"How about Truth or Dare?" The question came from an unexpected source. Lily had always hated Truth or Dare, because her questions were always about James. Now, she didn't seem to mind.

"Okay." I pulled my self up on my elbows. "I'm game. Who wants to go first?"

"I will." Rayne's eyes were narrowed in anticipation. "Lily, truth or dare?"

Lily bit her lip, obviously debating about her choice. "I… oh, why not? Truth."

Rayne leaned forward, hands on her knees. "What is it like to kiss James Potter? In detail."

This was a good way to ease into the game. Lily clearly wanted to talk about James and this was an easy, yet embarrassing way, starter.

"Oh." Lily blushed a deep red. "Well, I…" I resisted the urge to snicker. "He's never kissed anyone else, so he's a little hesitant going in. But he's always totally into it, you know, and when I'm kissing him, I know I'm the only thing he's thinking about. And he's good, especially for someone so inexperienced. Not the best, but certainly not the worst by any means. He doesn't drool or slobber, and he's not sloppy. Everything he does is with passion, but careful precision. And he's not all over me. I know he wants me to be comfortable, and will go at my pace. It's… all I've ever wanted."

Lily finished while looking at her hands. A rosy color still clouded her face and her mouth was set in a small, secret smile. I let out a quiet, girly giggle.

"Wow." Rayne had a wistful grin on her face. "I want a guy like that some day."

"Me too." Kristy looked somewhat like she had in her Sirius-obsessed days. Drooling and far away.

"I'd rather have a dog." I told them, hoping to shake them out of fantasyland. It worked, luckily.

Lily shook her head. "Kristy, truth or dare?"

Kristy tapped her finger against her chin and scrunched up her mouth. "Dare."

Lily's mouth curled into a mischievous grin. "I dare you to go down to the Common Room and snog the hell out of Rick, our illustrious Keeper."

Kristy gasped, a low, strangled sound, deep in her throat. "That is just…" She seemed lost for words.

Lily looked like some sort of fey creature, full of tricks and pranks. Well, she **was** a Marauder's girlfriend. "Oh come on, I bet you're just dying to kiss your crush."

"WHAT?!" I whipped around to stare at Kristy. "You? Rick? What? How? When? Where? Why?"

"Calm down and keep quiet!" Kristy demanded, while glancing nervously at the door. "I like to go out flying sometimes, you see, in the evenings, just for fun. I've seen him for a few years now, so we talked a lot. I never really thought of him as anything more than a sort of friend, but this year, after Sirius and I split, I was just sobbing out there. And… he comforted me." She must have known what was on my mind, because she hurried to explain. "I know he can act like a bit of a git, but he has a really sensitive side, not like Sirius. We've talked even more since… and he's truly amazing." Her eyes were glazed, and I saw a real, deep and truthful connection, based on so much more than looks.

It was quiet. Rayne looked shell shocked. Lily simply looked smug. Kristy was positively bashful. Me? I didn't know how to feel, what to think. This was the most impossible thing I'd ever heard. Rick was young(er), popular, and known for being a bit of a womanizer. Not Sirius, by any means, but a flirt and a good one. If it'd been last year, I probably would have been interested. But Kristy was **Kristy**; gangly, possessive, passionate, and formerly obsessed with Sirius Black. It just didn't seem to fit for me. But who was I to judge love? Or something like it.

A thought hit me. "How did you know?" I asked Lily accusingly. "Did she tell you?" I couldn't help feeling a bit betrayed that Kristy would tell Lily and not me. But then again, we hadn't been as close lately, for obvious reasons.

"No." Lily looked so self-satisfied, I half expected her to start purring. "I figured it out. It was really obvious. Especially during the match today. She was almost drooling."

Kristy flushed. "Was not!"

"Was to! And cheering 'Go Ricky' whenever he saved a goal."

"Was not!"

"Love struck puppy."

"I'm not a puppy."

"Okay then, what are you?"

"Something cool, like a parakeet."

"Since when are parakeets cool?"

"Since when aren't they cool?"

"Since batty old ladies started having thousands of them in their houses, pooing every where."

"Don't talk about my grandma that way!"

"How was I supposed to know your grandma was a crazy bird lady?"

"So Miss Smart admits she doesn't know everything!"

"You are being silly."

"Your face is silly."

Lily didn't dignify that with a response.

I tried to pull the conversation back on track. "Kristy, do you accept the dare or not?"

Kristy squared her shoulders. "I guess I do."

"All right then." Rayne pushed herself to her feet. "No better time than now."

In two pairs, we moved down the stairs to the Common Room, Rayne and Kristy in the front, Lily and I bringing up the rear. The party had picked up since we left it. Now there was flashing lights and pounding music. In the corner, I thought I saw a Fire Whiskey.

"Hey, where have you guys been?" James greeting us, sliding an arm around Lily's waist. It seemed so easy and natural for them, as if they'd been going out for years, not less than one day. Lily relaxed into him, her body molding against his.

"Playing Truth or Dare," I informed him, distractedly searching the crowd for Rick. There he was… currently getting up on a table to say something or other.

Rayne nudged Kristy with her elbow. "It's now or never. Go for it."

Kristy drew in a deep breath, her eyes frantic. "Now or never." She muttered. She began striding through the crowd toward him, first walking, then jogging, then full out running. She jumped up onto the table, seized his face with her hands, and slammed her lips against his.

Their kiss… at the time, I'd only seen one other kiss like it. Pent up passion, desperate longing, and, above all, love. My mind flashed to Lily and James, only a few nights before. It was the same kiss, for two different people. This meant… Kristy loved Rick. I wasn't sure how you could fall in love with someone so quickly… but maybe she had always been in love with him. It was possible to love two people at once. So, when she fell out of love with Sirius, that must have left enough room for her love for Rick to expand and take over the rest of her heart.

When they broke apart, they just looked into each other's eyes, like the other person was the rising sun. I couldn't help it; tears came to my eyes.

It's so rare in life that you see a moment like this, much less two in one day. I grabbed Lily's hand next to me and squeezed. She returned the pressure just as strongly.

"Look, I…" Kristy jerked up her chin and spoke in a wavering, but brave voice. "I really like you Rick. I'm sorry this is so abrupt but… I'd really love it if you agreed to go out with me."

Nothing poetic. Just a simple statement of feelings and an admittance of desire. Yet, it was just as beautiful as James and Lily's eloquent speeches. Because behind both, were true feelings.

"Kris…" Rick's voice was soft. "Kris, I'd love to."

The Common Room was dead quiet as the two hugged, holding each other in what seemed like disbelief. I turned to Lily.

"You were right."

"I know." She responded. "Aren't you glad?"

I looked at the happy couple, who pulled back until they were just holding hands and started moving towards us. "Yes, I am."

"Merlin." I looked up to see Sirius standing next to me. "Who knew?"

"Not me." I whispered. Definitely not me.

"Hey." Kristy looked almost the same as she had before the kiss and subsequent revelations. But if you looked closely, you could see a pinker flush to her cheeks, a brighter sparkle in her eyes, the smile a hair wider. People in love looked just like the rest of us, except when under the microscope. Only then could you tell one from the other. Who knew what love was hiding under every exterior? I thought briefly of Cissy, her proud, regal features flashing in my mind's eye. Who would know whether Cissy loved?

Kristy was grinning at me, head tilted a little to one side, a teasing light in her eyes. "You know, they say things come in threes."

"So?" I frowned. Apparently love makes you cryptic. Perhaps cryptic-ness was sexy?

"So, Lily and James are together. Rick and I are together. There's got to be a third couple in our little group. As far as I know, Rayne isn't interested in anyone, but I know for sure someone is interested in you…"

"Oh no." I got what she was hinting at. Who wants to take bets that our favorite person is smirking?

I checked, peering up at him.

I win. He's smirking like an idiot.

"I'm sorry, but there is no way you are going to get your third coupley moment from me." I informed her, sniffing.

"Oh, are you sure?" Sirius's hands descended on my shoulders, turning me to face him. His face was only inches from mine (yes, he was bending down). His breath tickled my nose.

"You wish." I muttered. I could hear laughter in the crowd. I guess we would be their only source of entertainment anymore. *sigh*

"I do." His voice was light, but caressing. "All the time." Whistles broke out from the crowd. I let my eyes drift shut for a moment, then pushed away.

"Whatever star you're trying to wish on, it's defective." I smirked back at him. "Or you could always move on. I'm sure Macy and Amelia are willing to give you a try."

He looked over at the two girls, who could have drowned in puddles of their own drool, and shuddered. "Thanks, but no thanks. I know who I love."

"Hate to break this up,"-I could've bit Kristy's head off, in love or not-"but we need to continue our game." She turned her eyes to mine. "Ari, truth or dare?"

She might have been asking a question, but her eyes were daring mine. I took the challenge. "Dare."

She smirked. "All right. I dare you to go to the Sirius fan club meeting tomorrow and tell all of the club the story of Sirius and your relationship."

The crowd burst out into gasps, murmurs, and sobs. Macy came forward, shocked. "You dated Sirius?"

"Yeah, only for two weeks in fifth year," I tried to comfort her, distracted. I put on my pleading face for Kristy. "Come on. You can't be serious. You wouldn't do that to your oldest, dearest friend, would you?"

The cursed girl kept smiling. "I would. Besides,"-she leaned in so only I could hear-"you'll be able to tell all the girls about Sirius cheating on you. Warn them, you know."

I narrowed my eyes are her as she pulled back. "You're only using that to justify yourself."

The girl grinned even wider, if possible. "Maybe. Maybe not."

"Fuck you." I told her. She only laughed.

"Ari, are you backing down?" Kristy sure was doing her best to get on my nerves. Her voice was taunting, sickeningly sweet.

"Hell no!" I growled. "You are on. I accept."

"Perfect." She linked her hand with Rick, preparing to depart, probably to a deserted hallway. "I'll take you to the club tomorrow."

I groaned, dropping my head into my hands, only to look up as I heard a snicker above me.

Sirius smirked at me, all sign of the sensitive side I'd glimpsed this morning gone. "That is one speech I could be interested in hearing. I think I might show up at the club meeting tomorrow." He sauntered off, up the boy's dorm staircase.

Damn.

What had I gotten myself into?

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The word of Kristy's dare had spread around the school by breakfast the next day. I swear, it was all anyone could talk about. Being popular had its bad moments, and this was definitely one of them. I'd managed to keep my and Sirius's relationship in the bag, but last night had spoiled all that. There was a ton of speculation, and over half the school intended to show up at the fan club to hear my story.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Lily assured me as we made our way toward the club-meeting place. She didn't seem confident as she glanced at the hordes following us. "Or maybe not."

"Hell it's not." I was in a bad mood. I'd been agonizing about this the whole day. But I couldn't back down from a dare, no matter how awful or suicidal.

The club was filled, people pouring out the doors. My friends and I pushed our way through to Macy and Amelia, in the front. They seemed overly excited, beaming at the sight of me.

"We can't wait for your insights into Sirius!" Amelia gushed. I managed to grimace at her, before turning to scowl at the crowd.

"Go on, we're ready! Get up on the stage!" Macy pushed me toward some steps to an elevated platform. I mounted the steps, eyes scanning the crowd. I spotted Kristy and Rick, wearing identical devilish grins. Maybe they were more alike then I'd thought. James and Lily were in the front, trying to look supportive. Rayne, Remus and Peter hovered by them. And… there he was. Sirius was in the back, lounging against the wall, smirking as usual, with all the fan girls fawning over him. They quieted as I reached center stage, turning to look at me.

With all eyes on me, I prepared to tell the story that I had never intended to tell.

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**So...**

**To explain about Kristy and Rick... I know it's seems odd to some people, that she fell for Rick so quickly after being dumped and hurt by Sirius. But she had always sort of loved both of them, although Sirius took the forefront for most of that time. Being dumped by Siri and comforted by Rick made her realize that she did love Rick, more, in fact, than she loved Sirius. That does not mean she is over Sirius, but she is trying very hard to appear so, and Rick will help her. That's why she can joke with Ari about their invetiable together-ness. So, if you ever wanted into Kristy's head, there you go. All broken down for you.**

**I am very, VERY excited about the next chapter. Basically, it's going to be a series of flashbacks to those two weeks when Ari and Siri were dating. For all you guys that have been longing and hoping for an Ari-Siri kiss... Stay tuned for the next chapter! (I can't tell you how excited I am to be going back to that whole bit of time, I've been wanting to for FOREVER!) **

**That's all I can tell you for right now! Please review, and don't change that channel!**

**Love you guys!**


	19. The Past and Crazy Fan Girls

**Hey Guys!**

**I'm back!**

**I love the fact that I'm writing this when I'm supposed to be socializing. So much fun. Hee hee.**

**But anyhow, I'll be brief.**

**I have something to warn you about.**

**Part of this chapter takes place in the past, and Aria is a bit… different back then. Aka, she acts like a total girly girl. Really snobby and overly obsessed with Sirius and how he looks and all that. So be prepared.**

**And have fun!**

**No, I'm not JK. Blah blah blah, you get the picture.**

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In case you missed the last chapter, I'll fill you in.

…

Actually, if you missed the last chapter, get your ass over to chapter eighteen and read it. No skipping allowed in this fan fiction.

Now that you have read all the previous chapters, let's get down to business. When you last left me, I was standing in front of half the school, about to tell them all about my previous relationship with Sirius.

Right, not good.

I observed the crowd, taking in all the faces. I'd never really had stage fright, but this was different. Before, it hadn't been me I was talking about. Or, if it was, it was something I was comfortable with. Try anything not involving my history.

There was a standing mike, which I grasped with my sweaty palms, to try and calm myself. It didn't work, but I doubted anything would work at the moment. I couldn't find my poise or confidence, which meant I would have to jump in, even if I didn't know how to swim.

"Hi everyone." My voice was steady, automatically using the chummy tone I knew so well. I relaxed slightly.

"I suppose you all know why I'm here." It was best if I didn't have to say it out loud. "You probably also know that I am doing this against my will." The crowd chuckled a little, and I found myself adjusting to this awkward spotlight. I took a deep breath.

"I've always talked a lot, especially about myself." More laughter. "But I guess I've never talked about the more important things. The reasons for why I am the way I am. Not that this story is truly important to the overall tale of my life but… it may clarify a few things. For no story is **un**important. And…" I swallowed. This was going to be hard. "Even though I might want to, I won't abbreviate. I agreed to this dare and I will fulfill it in a way that leaves no doubt in anyone's mind that I have completed it."

The crowd was quiet, hushed by anticipation. I settled back on a stool a thoughtful fan club member had left for me. I grasped the mike in my hand, took another breath, and began.

"I was fifteen years old, and it was the second month of my fifth year at Hogwarts. Just around this time, in fact…"

***

**Two years ago:**

_Hogwarts grounds were beautiful in the fall. I was outside, munching on an apple as I scouted the grounds, looking for something else to do. Lily was inside, studying, but not me! I had way better things to do, even if it was nothing at all._

_I might have hung out with Kristy, but she was making buttons out of pictures of Sirius Black. He may have been the pure incarnation of hotness, but I wasn't that desperate to have him. Besides, he seemed to currently enjoy following me around and making fun of me. Of course, I saw right through this. His semi-stalking behavior was just a way to camouflage his feelings for me. I was sure he'd ask me out, sooner or later. I giggled, throwing a skip into my stride. Think, Sirius Black, my first __**real**__ boyfriend! Oh, I'd been asked out plenty of times, but I'd never really wanted any of them. I wanted Sirius. Bad._

_A delicious shiver went up my spine at the thought. Sirius was one of the only guys here I could imagine seriously dating. After all, we had a common back round. We were both Gryffindors from traditionally Slytherin families. A perfect match. My mum would be so happy._

_At the thought of my mother-_

***

Here, I stopped. There was no way I was going to tell them my mum hit me.

"Aria? Is something wrong?" Macy asked.

"No, just a little thirsty." I swallowed and dove back in.

***

_Anyhow, none of my other friends were free to hang out. So, I managed to amuse myself by trying to skip rocks on the lake. Trying being the operative word. Goodness, I had gotten rusty._

_"Hey, Aria." I whipped around, ready to let loose a scream. But it was just Sirius. My fingers, which had been prepared to throw my rock, uncurled and let the it drop to the ground._

_"Sirius! Hello!" I greeted him, a big smile on my face. I hoped there was no sweat on my face. I resisted the urge to wipe my sleeve across my forehead, just in case._

_"I saw you from the castle. What're you doing out here, alone?" His voice was yummy. Caramel, I thought suddenly. Dark chocolate covered caramel._

_"My friends are busy," I informed him, shrugging. "I thought I'd get some me-time." I could barely focus on my words. He was so __**hot**__. Tall, dark, and sexy. Just what every girl wanted._

_"Huh. Kinda looked like you were angry or something." He stepped closer, silver eyes intense. Butterflies spontaneously burst into existence in my stomach._

_"No." My voice was breathless. Damn. I was acting like a stupid fan girl! Dignity, Aria, dignity!_

_"That's right." He reached out a hand and twirled a strand of my hair around his finger. "You don't get mad, do you?"_

_"No." A whisper._

_"Aria." His face was very near mine. My heart was beating faster. "Will you go out with me?"_

_This was the moment. The one I'd been waiting for since first year, when he'd told me, grudgingly, that my hair wasn't really the color of pee, but more of a beaten gold. I'd had a little crush on him ever since. But now, it somehow felt wrong._

_"Kristy." The name came involuntarily, rolling off my tongue. "It'd kill her."_

_Sirius dragged his fingers across my cheek and my eyes fluttered shut. He leaned in, and I could feel his breath on m ear. "We'll keep it a secret. What she doesn't know can't hurt her."_

_I really should have said no, looking back on it. When someone wants you to deceive a friend in order to go out with him or her, it's not worth it. There are plenty of boys, but true friends are a rarer commodity._

_But instead of listening to my own good advice, I said, "Oh, I suppose. I mean, yes, I'd love to go out with you Sirius. As long as Kristy doesn't have to know."_

_He smiled, and I couldn't help but return it. "It's settled then." He leaned down quickly, and I gasped as he brushed his lips across my cheek. "Meet me at nine o'clock tonight in the empty classroom at the base of the Astronomy Tower." With another smile, he sauntered away, without even giving me time to answer._

_Not that I would have said anything but yes._

***

"Yeah…" I was feeling uncomfortable again. Everyone was staring, open mouthed, and some of the girls were dreamy eyed, no doubt envisioning themselves in my place. I cleared my throat. "That's how we got together."

"Sirius, you're so romantic!" I heard a fan girl sigh. I determinedly didn't look at him.

"So, that night…"

***

_It was so exciting, sneaking out after curfew, sliding along the stonewalls. Just like a princess stealing away to meet her lover. Not that Sirius and I were exactly lovers yet, and I definitely wasn't a princess, but otherwise, it was close enough._

_I was worried that at some point the intrigue would wear off, and I would start being scared by the dark shadows and endless quiet that made each step of my feet sound like the stomp of an elephant. Yet, it never did. My giddy joy made each shadow look like dancing sunshine and my footfalls a rhythm, letting the hush sing the soft song._

_I reached the classroom at the bottom of the Astronomy Tower within a few minutes. Gently, I placed my palms against the hard, wooden door, smoothed with age, and pushed. The door swung open with a near silent squeak. I stepped inside, slowly shutting it behind me. Only then did I allow myself to look up._

_"Sirius!" I squealed, trying to stay quiet but not really succeeding. I ran at him, hurling my arms around his neck, jumping into his arms. He pulled me close, burying his face in my neck. I shivered as his hair brushed my face. _

_He broke the embrace, pulling back with a grin. "What did I do to deserve such a warm greeting? Whatever it is, I'll do it more often."_

_I smiled at him sweetly. "You told me my hair looked like beaten gold, back in first year."_

_He laughed, softly. "And you're only rewarding me now? If I said something like that tonight, how long would it take you to pay me back then?"_

_"Two seconds. That's a promise." I was trying, hard, not to grin like an idiot. Definitely wasn't succeeding. Come on Aria! Must not let hotness get to you!_

_"All right then." He set me on the ground. "I have something to show you. Then I'll start murmuring sweet nothings in your ear."_

_"Well hurry up and show me then!" I mock-pouted, joking, and was treated with a sexy grin from Sirius. I could have melted, I swear._

_"Come on, beautiful." He took my hand, and I followed open-mouthed. He'd called me beautiful!_

_We left the classroom and headed up the stairs. After a minute or so climb, Sirius stopped in front of a tapestry. He pushed it aside, revealing a small wooden door behind it. He pulled the door open. "Ladies first."_

_I walked through the door, into a small passageway. It was dark, but I could see a light at the end, so I kept walking. And walking. And walking. "My feet hurt."_

_"Maybe if you didn't wear heels all the time, they wouldn't." He joked, his voice right behind me. I tried not to think about the fact that I was in a dark, semi-enclosed space with Sirius Black right behind me. I'd never kissed anyone before, and I didn't want to be the one to initiate physical contact of that type. He was the guy. That was his job._

_Finally, we emerged. "Oh!" I cried in amazement._

_It was a moonlit balcony, high above the Hogwarts grounds. A large balcony, a dozen or so yards wide, and half that many long. And lying on the ground in front of me was a carefully arranged picnic, complete with pumpkin juice, ice cream, and a warm blanket._

_"Oh, Sirius!" I cried again, turning to beam at him. "This is so romantic!"_

_"No problem, love." He smiled again at me, his eyes intense, and helped me sit down, his hands warm on me._

***

I swear, all the fan girls were swooning, falling to the ground. I coughed, trying to get their attention. They were crooning over Sirius.

"OMG, that is so sweet, Siri!"

"That is so romantic!"

"You are so perfect!"

"Aria is so lucky! I wish I were she! She doesn't deserve you!"

I winced at the last one, not because they thought I didn't deserve Sirius. More because they thought I was the ideal person to be. I wasn't, not at all.

"Ummm… can I continue? I kinda want to get this over with." Several of the guys chuckled, and I gave them a glinting smile.

"Go ahead, Aria."

I took a deep breath and went on.

***

_We ate. We sat. We talked. I don't know how long this went on. I spent most of my time staring at him; unable to believe I was here. All those dreams and fantasies coming true. _

_After a while, it started getting cold. I was shivering, even with the blanket._

_"Cold?" He was observant, as always. "Come on." He held his arms open. "Or do I need to flatter you."_

_My laughter shook slightly, more from the chill than anything else. "You don't need to, but I certainly wouldn't mind."_

_"All right then." His eyes gleamed, intent on mine. "Your hair… with the moonlight behind you, you look like you could be her glorious sister, the sun. You outshine her in every way. If the sun were up, your hair would be brighter than even that. Gold pales in comparison. All the sunflowers in the world couldn't match the shade. If a pirate saw you, he would want to steal you away." His words were steady, even as they were occasionally silly. I inched closer to him. "Your skin looks like you bath in gold dust. You sparkle. You shine. The set of your jaw is beauty. The twitch of your lips joy." I knew I was beaming like a silly fan girl, but I couldn't help myself. Who cares if it was cheesy? He meant it, and that was what counted. He went on. "But do you know what I love most about you? Physically?" His voice was a whisper._

_"No." My voice matched his. We were inches away from each other._

_"Your eyes. They're so volatile, so changing. A color that no one else can match. A stronger periwinkle. A deeper blue. A lighter purple. Mystery and sadness, dwelling side by side. Yet, lit up with joy, glowing, shining even more than your hair, or your skin, or your smile. Your eyes smile. Your mouth doesn't even need to. That's just a bonus." His voice was so low I could barely hear it. "I live for when your eyes smile."_

_We sat for a moment, our eyes locked, mine shining with tears, no doubt. And then he leaned forward and kissed me._

***

Of course they were all staring straight at me now. Their eyes were begging for details. I swallowed, turning away.

"Yeah, so after that, we went back to the Common Room and-"

"Wait a moment!" Amelia screeched, looking frantic. "You didn't talk about the kiss."

I put on my best fake smile. "What about it?"

"DETAILS!" Every fan girl seemed to scream at the exact same time. Spooky. Did their longing for Sirius bind their minds together so they could all spontaneous shout like this? Was Sirius lusting something that affected their way of thinking and put them all on the same wavelength? How frightening.

"Umm… well…" I stalled, NOT looking at Sirius. "It was… nice."

"NICE?!" More unison shouting. Really this was getting freaky. I started to edge away from the crowd.

"Yeah, that." I muttered. "Now, if I can continue…"

"No, no NO!" It was just Kristy this time. She was glaring. "You swore to tell this thing the whole way through. Just like if you were telling Lily, Rayne and I. With DETAILS."

I winced. "Umm… well…"

***

_For a moment, we just held there, his lips lightly brushing mine. Lightening seemed to be racing through me. Such a cliché, but so true…_

_And then his lips were moving over mine, brushing against me in soft, intricate patterns. One hand wrapped around my waist, coaxing me closer, while the other buried itself in my hair. And I was responding, threading my hands into his hair, pushing myself up so that our lips melded together, and sliding over each other in the ageless rhythm._

_It was like… nothing I had ever experienced before. Warm and soft and scary. Sirius made a muffled sound and pulled me into his lap. Our kisses became quicker, more desperate, as if we only had a certain amount of time to do this. I wrapped one arm around his neck, binding myself to him. We were touching everywhere. There was no part of me that wasn't bound to him._

_I don't know how long we kissed. I couldn't have kept track. My mind unfocused, paying attention only to him, to the way it felt when he touched me. And oh God, it felt good. It felt great._

***

I think that I'm in hell. Just a thought. I didn't just SAY that, did I?

"Is that good enough for you, Kristy?" I snapped, putting my hands on my hips, wanting to make up for the previous softness. She was staring at me like she'd never seen me before.

"Yeah, that was good."

And then, against my better judgment, because I just HAD to know what he thought, I looked at him.

He was looking straight at me. (Although, in retro prospect, where else would he have been looking? I was the one talking.)

Our eyes connected, just for a moment. Just a second. His were glazed over, as if he was replaying some long ago memory.

I knew exactly which one.

And that look! He looked like he was not only enjoying the memory, but really wanted to create another very similar one.

With me.

Me and Sirius.

Snogging.

My mind took a brief trip to Absurd-and-Completely-Awful-Fantasy-Land-Where-You-Dream-About-Things-Better-Left-Unsaid. And yes, it involved Sirius, a nice broom closet, and me if that's what you are asking.

I really hope I didn't look like I was thinking about that.

Really hope.

"Um, Aria?"

I looked at Lily, who looked like she was doing her best to save me from something.

"Do you want to, you know, continue?"

"Ah." Right. There was more. "Yeah. Continuing sounds good."

I could tell you the rest, like I did them. The other dates we went on. Snogging. Dates. Snogging. But I'm going to skip over that. Because it's really more of the same, and you are here to read about my story in the present tense. Besides, it was humiliating enough the first time around.

Eventually, I got to the end. The last story. The one that would involve me walking in on Sirius and Rayne snogging as if the world was ending. I stopped speaking.

"Aria?" Maxie was looking at me. She looked blissed out, like the rest of the girls. Like she'd just gotten really high off of some drug. Weird. More creepy fan girl stuff. They needed help.

"Umm… yeah. So after that…"

I could see Kristy looking at me. Daring me with her eyes to unmask him for all he was. A cheating, lying bastard.

But, was that what Sirius was? He had done to help me, in his twisted way. He hadn't cheated on anyone else. He was just… being a Gryff. Trying to save everyone. Doing what he had to help. Putting me first, his own integrity and reputation on the line.

Besides, what good would it do? I'd just look like a bitter old woman. No one would believe me. And if they did, they'd probably shun him. It was so far in the past. Was that really necessary?

But Kristy was DARING me.

I took a deep breath and said, "We broke up."

…

Believe me, no one was more surprised than me to hear that coming out of my mouth.

"What?" Rayne asked in a strangled voice.

Okay, so I couldn't tell the truth. So I'd lie. "Yeah, we broke up. Actually, to be truthful, he broke up with me." Inspiration struck and I elaborated. "You see, he wanted to go public. But I was still scared of hurting Kristy. So, I told him no and… we broke up."

"That's so sad…" Amelia was wiping her eyes. Odd. Scary.

All of a sudden, I just wanted to get out. I could see all these people looking at me, pitying me. I wanted out. I wanted to be gone. "So, if that's all…?"

No one stopped me. I hopped off the platform, weaving skillfully through the crowd. They parted for me, making no move to hold me back. I burst out the door at a run.

Only one thought stayed with me. _What had I done?_

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Review please!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Love you!**


	20. The Dust Under the Bed

**Hey guys!**

**So, I've been on this complete writing surge, and I wrote three chapters in one day. Sadly, I can't give them to you all now, but you get this lovely chap. It's not really a plot chapter. It mostly answers a lot of questions the last chapter brought up and also ties up some loose ends. Resolves a couple issues. There is a little bit of humor, with the dust under the bed... I love that dust.**

**Anyhow, I hope everyone had a marvelous Halloween. My Halloween chapter will actually probably be out more around Thanksgiving time... I'm so behind. *laughs* But I hope you enjoy this one!**

**WARNING: This is not JK Rowling because JK would probably get her Halloween chapter out on time. Grrr...**

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sometimes I wish I had a private dorm.

I hadn't known where to hide after the whole Fan Club fiasco, so I'd gone back to my dorm. I thought that maybe I could mope on my bed for a while, dig deep and sob over the fact that I had completely destroyed my reputation. But, after a minute or two of panicking (all designed to get me to the perfect mope stage), I heard noises down in the Common Room. Voices to be exact. To be even MORE exact, my bloody friends' voices.

"Aria?" That was Lily. Damn it. I really didn't want to talk to her, to any of them. So I did what any sensible girl would do.

I dove under my bed.

I don't think anyone really realizes how dirty it is under beds. I mean, I think the houselves totally neglect that space. I kept sneezing. That's how they figured out I was there.

"Aria?" Kristy was close, standing right by my bed. I could see her shoes. They were really ugly. She desperately needed new ones. I really had to get her new ones for her birthday. Or Christmas. I sneezed.

"Aria!" How the hell was James up here? No, I couldn't get curious and ask. That would reveal my location. I sneezed again. Although, really, with all this sneezing, I could ask and it really wouldn't matter.

"Rs, don't hide!" Lily. "Although I don't know how you can hide. Where are you? I mean, we've checked everywhere but…" Her voice trailed off. Oh no. She KNEW.

Sure enough, the little ruffle thing that was hiding me from view was lifted and Lily's eyes were peering at me. "Aria! Why are you under the bed?"

I said the first thing that came to mind. "I was curious. I wanted to know if I'd fit."

Lily's eyebrows were trying to fly to the moon. "Well, get out, will you? You fit. You can die a happy woman. You aren't fat."

Reluctantly, I began to try to get out.

…

"Ummm… guys?" I really didn't want to say this. "I'm kinda… stuck."

Silence. Now they must realize that I'm secretly really fat. Twice humiliated in one day. That's it. I'm going to Cissy.

Then I heard a strangled snorting noise. Sort of a coughing bark. Wait…

"SIRIUS BLACK, IF YOU DON'T STOP LAUGHING WITHIN FIVE SECONDS I WILL CHOP OF YOUR HEAD AND FEED IT TO THE GIANT SQUID, WHO I WILL THEN BURN THE SQUID AND CHOP INTO A MILLION PIECES AND SERVE IT TO DUMBLEDORE ON A SILVER PLATER!"

…

I was upset.

Sirius was howling with laughter. Not only that, but now everyone ELSE was laughing too.

I swear, sheer anger propelled me out.

I emerged, no doubt covered with dust and grime, and launched myself at Sirius. Yes, launched.

He was surprised and I easily tackled him to the ground and began to punch at his face. Hard.

"Whoa! Aria, hold up!" I could feel James pulling me back. Sirius's nose was bloody. I hoped I'd broken it.

A side note: I am not usually this violent. I think it had something to do with the dust. Or maybe telling that story. Or maybe it was Sirius's laugh. He sounded like he was choking. I wanted to put him out of his misery. Aren't I kind?

Everyone was staring at me. This was altogether too like the Fan Club. "What?" I asked.

Rayne was gaping at me. "You… I mean… I can't believe… just… attacked… you… Sirius…"

I looked at her with concern. "Rayne, is something wrong? I do believe you are being possessed by a Jabberwocky. They make you ramble, I hear." Maybe one possesses my brain.

Remus was calm, and not totally in shock. I liked him for it. "Aria. You just told a long and very romantic story of your former relationship with Sirius. Then you ran out of the fan club. You came up here, and hid under the bed. Then you attacked Sirius and made his nose bleed. Can you see why we would all be a little… worried?"

"Well." That sounded horribly logical. I take back liking him. I didn't like him at all. Why was I acting so childish? "You don't need to put it like that." I sighed, slumping. Whatever had been making me act odd was receding. "James, you can let go of me. I think it was the dust. There must be some sort of magical powder under there that makes you act oddly."

Rayne looked confused. "Did you get under there this morning?"

Was she insane? "Are you insane? Hell no. This is the first time I've ever been under my bed." I widened my eyes and tried to look crazy. "It's fun! You should try it!"

Kristy whacked the back of my head. "Stop messing around and clean yourself off. Quickly. Then, we need to talk."

"Oh no. Not TALKING," I groaned. "Anything but TALKING." Nevertheless, I grabbed clean clothes and trotted into the bathroom, firmly shutting and locking it behind me. I didn't bother looking in the mirror. Why re-affirm horror?

I took a quick shower, letting myself think as I did so. I tried to look at my problems as if they were someone else's, as if I was detached from them. It didn't really work. But I tried.

Next, I tried to play them down. It didn't last very long. I'm a naturally dramatic person, as I'm sure you've noticed. I CAN'T mentally play things down.

So, I decided to list. Here is the list of problems I came up with in the shower while rinsing the dust out of my hair.

Sirius Black likes me. Or loves me, or whatever and I don't reciprocate the sentiment.

The whole school knows we used to be together. They also know I really used to like him.

The whole school also thinks I have unresolved feelings for him, because I told them he broke up with me, making me look like the spurned woman.

Sirius knows I used to really like him. He knows that I liked kissing him. He probably doesn't know that these are all past tense.

It wasn't as bad as I thought it was. After all, I could have five problems. That's a whole lot worse than four.

I dressed in my dark skinny jeans and warm sweater top. I love sweaters. They always make me feel comfortable. Then I grabbed my fuzzy socks and slipped those and my favorite cozy slippers on. I was dressed for stress. Armed and ready.

I exited the bathroom, surrounded by a cloud of fruity smelling steam. I glanced around.

All of my friends were there, along with the people that I didn't really like but had to count in the category because THEY WERE ALWAYS AROUND. (Otherwise known as Pettigrew and Sirius). James and Lily were on her bed, talking quietly. Rayne and Remus were having some scholarly discussion by our bookshelves. Kristy was reading some magazine. Pettigrew was sitting staring at Sirius who was…

Lounging on my bed.

Lying on MY bed.

I took another step into the room and put on my nicest, sweetest smile, the one I knew Sirius hated because it was fake as hell. "Sirius?" I asked, keeping my tone warm and chummy. He looked up, and his eyes narrowed at the smile. Oh, how I loved the fact I was getting to him. "Would you mind terribly getting off of my bed?" I was amazed. I was even convincing myself we were on good terms and I meant him no bodily harm. I hadn't lost all those years of training after all!

"I do, actually." He responded, irritation obvious. "Especially when you are smiling like that."

"Like what?" I smiled wider, stepping closer. "Like what, Sirius?"

"Like that!" He was pointing at my face in anger.

"Like this?" I gave him my sweetest fakest grin, moving closer again. "Like this, Sirius?" I even batted my eyelashes for the heck of it.

"Urgh!" He practically threw himself off the bed. "Stop it, damn it!"

"Stop what?" I made my eyes wide and innocent. Everyone else was watching with amusement. "Sirius, I thought you wanted me to nice to you!" I had my hurt puppy face on. I turned to James. "Does he have some sort of mood swing disorder? 'Cause if he does, he should really get medical help! We can't have him going around like-"

"Gah!" Suddenly, a pillow smacked me in the head. I lost my control.

"What the HELL?" I screeched at Sirius, flinging the pillow back at him. It hit him soundly. "You weirdo!"

"HA!" He screamed in triumph. "You stopped!"

"DAMN IT!"

Suddenly it was very quiet. I peered up threw my masses of hair. Yes, they were trying not to laugh. I sighed. "Go on. Go ahead and laugh. I don't mind."

I did mind after they wouldn't stop until five minutes later.

"It wasn't that funny," I muttered, hugging my pillow. They had finally regained control of themselves.

"Sorry, Ari." James grinned at me. "It's nice to see you weren't too scarred by that… speech story thing."

I winced.

"Or maybe I spoke to soon…" James looked up at me, seeming troubled. "Was it that bad Ari?"

"I'd rather watch Dumbledore strip then ever do that again," I murmured. I couldn't stand their pitying gazes. I sighed, falling back on my bed. "Go on. Tell me what people are saying about me."

I heard someone swallow. Everyone was silent for a minute. Then Lily spoke. "They think that it's pretty amazing that you would chose your friendship with Kristy over Sirius. In a good way. A lot of people were speaking well of you." She hesitated. "They also think that you secretly want to get back to together with Sirius and are just afraid of being hurt. They…" A pause. "They are going to try and get you to go out with him."

I groaned. "My life is ruined."

"Why'd you do it?" Kristy suddenly spoke up. I rolled over to look at her. She looked almost tormented by her confusion. "Why didn't you just tell them he cheated on you?"

I looked at her blankly. "Seemed kinda pointless."

She was on her feet, practically raging. "Pointless? You could have stopped the Sirius Fan Club once and for all. They would have believed you. You could've stopped other girls from being hurt and-"

I stopped her. "Kristy, Sirius is in the room."

She glanced over at him with disdain. "I don't care. He knows what I think of him. He knows what YOU think of him. So why didn't you do it?"

I sat up, exasperated. "Like I said, it seemed pointless. And he was only trying to help out, really."

"Am I the only really confused person here?" James's voice was mild, not really expecting an answer.

"Ask your buddy over there," Kristy growled at him. I was confused too. Hadn't I told James everything? I thought I did. Now I wasn't sure.

"I'll fill you in later, mate," Sirius said. I looked at him. He was looking at me like…

"Don't look at me that way," I told him. "Like you're trying to figure me out. It's a pointless endeavor."

"Yeah, I'm starting to sense that." He was still looking at me, though. I just looked back. There wasn't really anything else I could do.

Kristy sighed. "I just… I wish you had told them. So they wouldn't think he was so perfect."

"I would have told them. If I had told them about my mum, my family, my shield and all that shit, then I would have told them about why Sirius went out with me and cheated on me in the first place. But there is no way I'm EVER going to tell everyone about that. So, I won't tell them he cheated on me." There. That ought to make Kristy happy.

"Now I'm the confused one." Ah, Remus. Now, I knew I HAD told James about my family. His eyes were gleaming with sympathy.

So, for the third time, I explained my whole life history. Explained about my mum, dad, Cissy. Clarified my happiness, my mask. Glossed over Sirius and I, skipping fifth and sixth year to this one and telling all about that. Ending now.

My voice was really sore.

"Wow." I had forgotten Sirius didn't know all that about me. He just guessed very well. "I'm sorry Aria, for any pain."

"Apology accepted." I was oddly touched.

Remus tilted his head to the side. "Were fifth and sixth year just not important?"

I winced. "No. I did a lot of, um… bad stuff."

Eyebrows rose. Oh right, I hadn't told anyone this. "Look, I really don't want to elaborate. It was just my way of coping with it all, since I wasn't able to see Cissy as much."

They let me leave it at that.

Instead, we talked about all sorts of other things. Menial things. I got to know Remus, and Pettigrew (ew to the last one). I learned more about Sirius, and his family. I even heard things about Lily, Kristy, Rayne and James I hadn't heard before. It was… fun. I was surprised, that even after that awful day I'd had, I could still enjoy this. I was at home here, with my friends beside me.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Going down to breakfast the next day was not fun. I refused to walk in with Sirius. This would give wrong impression. I entered with Lily, Rayne and Kristy, holding my head high. Immediately, I heard whispers.

However, as I glanced around, there was no pity in anyone's eyes. Maybe some empathy or sympathy, but nothing worse. In fact, there was a kind of admiration. As if they finally got me, or something. I don't know, it was odd.

When we sat down, I sat next to Remus and Kristy. I greeted Sirius just the same way I did all the rest of my friends. When he flirted with me, I rolled my eyes and said something scornful back. I laughed when James made a joke. I pretended to throw up when Kristy and Rick decided to have a snog fest at the table. Rayne and I ran out together, getting to Charms early.

She shook her head, still laughing. "Crazy stuff, that."

I nodded, agreeing. "It's so odd to think that after one weekend, two of our friends are dating. A lot happened fast."

She rolled her eyes. "I know! You'd think it was Valentine's Day or something."

Eventually, everyone straggled in. Kristy was late, looking disheveled. I laughed and teased her about it. She mouthed off to me. Flitwick had to ask us to 'please pipe down'. Sirius sent me some note with a provocative invitation on it. I passed it back to him with a drawing of him being tarred and feathered. Lily saw it and shrieked with laughter. James clapped a hand over her mouth and everyone stared. I giggled.

Life and love, it seemed, would go on.

.......................................................................................................

**I hope you guys really enjoyed this chapter. Especially the dust! I think it should make a reappearance! *snort* (In reality, I'm probably the only one who found the dust funny. That would be just like me).**

**So, unless I get sick of waiting, the next chapter will be up Sunday. I've already finished writing it, so there is no way it can be delayed, unless I go into a coma or something, which hopefully will not happen. (Sometimes I put my foot in my mouth. This was just probably one of those times.)**

**Please review! (Even though I'm crazy. Maybe it's the dust.)**

**Love you all!**


	21. Dumbledore Gets Married! Or Not

**Hey guys!**

**I hope your weekend is going well. I know mine is. :)**

**Not really much to say about this chapter... Sirius and Aria reach a new level in their relationship. She actually LIKES him. *gasp* I know, shocking. Yes, you have to read. I'm not giving anything else away. **

**Well, please enjoy!**

**Warning: JK Rowling is not in high school. I am. JK Rowling probably does not spend half her life on Facebook. I do. Therefore, we cannot be the same person. **

* * *

So, life and love went on.

Yet, not everything stayed quite the same at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In fact, sometimes I looked back and tried to figure out what WAS the same. The difference between my sixth and seventh year was like that of the Earth to Pluto.

Sirius and I were, oddly enough, what I would call friends. Reluctantly, sure. And, of course, we were all aware of the fact that Sirius thought of me as much more than a friend. But I could sit next to him when we ate and talk about simple things. Classes, family, life… We actually talked. I even took to going out of my way to speak to him, which was stranger still. He seemed to understand some things better than anyone else did. And I always knew that he would lend me a listening ear no matter what. I began to stay late after Quidditch practice, and we would hit the Bludger back and forth, talking about stupid things that had made us mad throughout the day. For him, it was mostly all the girls. I'd thought before that he had relished the attention, loved the limelight. And he did. But still, he found it irritating to have half the population drooling over his words. "I like intelligence," he told me once, "I like witty conversation. I like laughing because someone says something funny. Those girls… they act so empty headed. They're not interesting." Then he grinned at me. "They aren't you."

I spoke more jokingly, listing action after action that he'd done that had caused me to be angry. It became a joke between us, trying to add up how many things he'd done wrong that day. He might reach across me for the butter and I would say, "Offense number three," and he would laugh.

Any flirting done between us now was casual and lighthearted, at least on my part. He kept most of the depth of his feelings out of our relationship, probably sensing that it was delicate enough as it was. I enjoyed bantering with him, flirting in this meaningless way. It was new, having a male friend who I WAS attracted to and who was admittedly in love with me. It was almost pleasant. I knew however ugly I looked; he still thought I looked gorgeous. If I were upset, he would comfort me. I had him without having to even ask, and that made me happier than I had known I could be.

None of our friends got it. They all thought I was falling for him and we were 'inevitable'. I brushed them off. They didn't need to get it. In fact, they were part of the reason we were now so close.

Lily and James, now Jamily, were going strong. They spent all their time together. I swear, I never saw one without the other, except for at night, when Lily would rush into our dorm and gush about her day before falling asleep. Honestly, it drove me crazy. Lily and I had been close for years and though I hadn't known James all that long, we were very close too. I felt like I was no longer needed now that they were together. They were so involved in their romance that all their friendships fell to the side.

All our other friends were occupied too. Kristy and Rick were currently in the same happy couple phase as James and Lily, although they had a lot more physical interaction then Jamily. James and Lily were very rarely seen doing more than holding hands or hugging. Sometimes I wondered how they were surviving.

Rayne and Remus had taken to having extreme study sessions every day in the library. I joined them once or twice, but they were working so high above my level that I gave up after the third time. They might as well have been dating, for all the time they spent joined at the hip.

I didn't know where Pettigrew was, and I really didn't care. I wouldn't have hung out with him for a million galleons. He kind of ghosted around, sometimes he was there, and sometimes he wasn't. I don't think Sirius gave a rat's ass either, because he never asked about him.

So, by necessity, Sirius and I were a whole lot more friendly than I thought we'd ever be.

There were other odd things. For instance, people kept on coming up and _talking_ to me.

This may not seem odd to you. But it definitely was for me. You see, I'd always been popular, but more the kind of popular where people are kind of in awe of you and would never dare talk to you unless you spoke to them. And I did speak to almost everyone at one time or another. When I did, they would kind of clam up and stare in admiration. That's why I so valued my friends. They didn't let my popularity get in the way of their opinions or desires.

Now, however, everything seemed to have changed. People gathered around me in flocks to walk to the next class. They chatted with me about tests, homework, and grades. I was nothing if not mystified. After a shy little fourth year had come up to me and asked for advice on how to improve her Beating, I turned to Kristy in askance.

"Why are they talking to me?" I questioned her bluntly. She laughed, snorting a little.

"After that whole speech, suddenly you are a whole lot more accessible. Before they viewed you as something along the lines of… a celebrity. Not quite _human_, you know. Bigger and better. But now they've realized that you are just like one of them and you can get hurt too. So they feel okay talking to you. They want to. And it's actually made you _more _popular as a result."

I'd grunted and mumbled something about "What, did they think I was an alien?" and Kristy had laughed. I still found it very creepy that suddenly they were all immensely friendly with me. However, it was also nice. Though I didn't become close with anyone new, I had a whole lot more people to talk to. And that was all I'd ever really wanted. People to talk to.

Now, I was sitting in the Great Hall, eating. James and Lily were sitting across from me, being adventurous and *****gasp* feeding each other food. I rolled my eyes at Sirius, portraying my utter confusion at their ways of showing their love. I mean, where was the snogging? Good, healthy couples snogged.

"So, Ari…" I glanced up to see James grinning at me. "We haven't seen you as much since we got together." He looked at Lily with love blooming in his eyes. "What's been up, besides your secret love affair with my best mate?"

With a straight face, I reached across the table and smacked him. "Ow!" he cried, rubbing the back of his head, "You don't need to get violent."

"In that case, I did." I sniffed. "I've been bored out of my mind, if you must know. I've even done my homework. I haven't procrastinated in so long that it worries me."

James put his hand over his heart in shock. "Well, you'll have to start. Procrastinate tonight! Go out and do something fun."

I just looked at him. "Like what?"

His eyebrows rose. "Aria, are you okay? What has happened to my old pal who _always _has something fun to do?"

"She took a vacation," I mumbled. Honestly, I didn't really feel good. Kind of… moody. Generally upset. It was probably some odd sort of premonition. Something horrible was most likely going to happen. Like, at any moment, Pettigrew would pop up and declare his ever-lasting love. Or Dumbledore would tell us he'd gotten hitched to a twenty-something exotic dancer. Or Amos Diggory would ask me out to the next Hogsmeade weekend. (Nothing against Diggory, by the way, he's just a bit of a prude. Not exactly my type)

"Students, your attention please." Dumbledore was standing up. I looked intently at his left hand. No ring. Thank Merlin. "As you know, the Halloween ball is next weekend. I have had complaints from many students that they have not been able to mail order the costumes that they desire. Therefore, I have decided we shall have a Hogsmeade outing this weekend, on Saturday. Thank you."

Oh no.

I glanced over at Sirius and quickly looked away. Yep, he was looking at me. Any moment now, he'd lean across the table with that determined and really sexy expression of his and he'd ask me out. And then I'd have to say no, and see the hurt on his face. I wouldn't be able to talk to him, because I'd feel bad and our carefully constructed friendship would fall into pieces.

"I've got to go." I stood up hurriedly, grabbing my bag and making for the door. Heads turned to watch, curious what in the world I was running from. I honestly couldn't have put a name to it. I chanced a look back, to make sure no one was following me, and walked straight into someone else.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" I turned to look at the student that I'd unintentionally run into. Speak of the devil. It was Diggory. "Oh, hello Amos." I smiled. "My apologies. I wasn't looking."

"Yeah, I noticed." He seemed nervous, his voice weak. I looked at him curiously. Had I hit him that hard?

"Uh… Aria?"

I sighed. "Look Amos, I'm kind of in a hurry. Whatever you have to say, could you say it fast?"

He gulped. "AriawillyougowithmetoHogsmeade?"

"What?" I was really hoping I had heard wrong.

"Aria… will you go with me to Hogsmeade?" His eyes were pleading. Oh, damn it. I had run away from being asked out and run into someone who wanted to hit on me. I hate my life.

"Amos…" I started to speak, getting ready to tell him no. And then… I thought about Sirius. He _would_ ask me out, sooner or later, as long as I was available. I _needed_ a date, before he asked me, or our friendship would be ruined. I made a split second choice. "Sure, Amos, I'd love to."

"Really?" His face looked childishly enthusiastic.

"Yeah." I pulled my bag up higher on my shoulder. "Meet you on the front steps at ten?"

"That, that's great!" He was beaming. "I'll see you then."

"Yeah, see you." I muttered, moving past him and out of the Great Hall. Damn it. I really didn't want to go with Amos. If only someone else had asked me first… But no one had. So, I was stuck with him.

Throughout the day, I tried very, very hard not to notice that Sirius was avoiding me like the plague. I tried to tell myself that I had taken the best option, that there was nothing else I could of done. But there was always that nagging voice in my head that was saying, '_You could have gone with Sirius.'_

I went out to practice that evening apprehensive. I could see Maxie and Amelia whispering, occasionally looking over at me. When they saw me staring at them, they both turned a deep red and busied themselves with preparing their brooms. Alfred was moping in the corner, and James was talking to Lily, who was now a permanent fixture at our practices. I looked over at Rick. He was trying not to laugh.

I sighed. "What's the gossip saying?" Talking to Rick was better than just standing there.

He chuckled. "Mostly that you only agreed to go with Amos so Sirius wouldn't ask you."

What'd you know? The gossip actually got it right for once. I groaned. "This is hell."

Rick patted my shoulder. "No, I think hell would be a heck of a lot worse."

That's when Sirius strode onto the field. Oh. He looked… pissed. Damn. He's going to kill me.

"In the air, now!" he barked. "James, stop talking to your girlfriend! Now, do you hear me?"

We obeyed hurriedly, launching into the air. And I was right. Sirius seemed committed to killing not only me, but also our whole team. He kept us out until it was almost curfew, constantly yelling what we were doing wrong. By the end, we'd all had to run five laps, do a hundred push-ups and seventy sit-ups. I was exhausted. And absolutely boiling mad.

Everyone else quickly trooped in, but I stayed. James threw a worried look back at me, but I was determined. Sirius put away the last Bludger and looked up.

"What?" he snarled. It only fueled my anger.

"You!" I strode up and poked him in the chest. "You bastard! Taking out whatever you're feeling on your poor teammates, who only want you to be happy! Alfred was practically in tears! You had no right to act this way! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

His mouth tightened into an angry line. "I have a right to be upset! I have a right to be pissed! And I have a right to express that however the hell I want!"

"Not on people that have done nothing wrong!" I was yelling, loud. I could only hope no one was around to hear this. "If you are mad at someone, why don't you tell them instead of stomping around like Slughorn when Lily doesn't come to one of his parties! God Sirius! Even I know that!"

"Fine then!" He was seething. "You want me to talk to the person I'm mad at?"

"Yeah, I do." I stood my ground, even though he had invaded my space. We were only a few inches apart. He towered over me. I had to tilt my head to look up at him.

"Alright then." His eyes burned into mine. I couldn't look away if I wanted to. "WHAT THE HELL, ARIA? I thought we were friends, or something close to it! But as soon as Dumbledore announces the Hogsmeade trip, you start running away again! And then you say you'll go out with Diggory! Diggory! That self-absorbed, pretentious asshole! After that, you avoid me all bloody day and look at me like I'm about to turn into some sort of vicious monster that is going to brutally murder everyone! How the hell am I supposed to feel about THAT! Fuck, Aria! You are so insensitive sometimes!"

"Well, how was I supposed to act?!" I was steaming. I wanted to hit him. I wanted to punch his bloody head off. "Am I supposed to just sit there and deal with your issues with me! Am I supposed to say, 'No, Amos. I can't go out with you. Sirius likes me, and because of that, I can't date anyone else'! Hell no! I am going to live my life, and I am going to date WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!"

"It's always about you, isn't it! It's always YOUR problems that are most important! You never even stopped to think, 'Huh, maybe I should give Sirius a chance'! What am I to you Aria? A convenient fall back? Someone you can have if no one else is there! Second best? SETTLING?"

"NO!!!" My fists were clenched. "NO, YOU AREN'T. The only reason I'm not going out with you is because you care way more for me than I do for you and THAT IS NOT FAIR TO YOU!"

It was suddenly silent. I had shocked him, and myself. That was the truth I'd sworn I'd never admit to him. The truth that the only thing that kept me from dating him, was the fact that he loved me more than I could reciprocate. If I was to go out with him, I wanted to love him equally, if not more. I swallowed. I wasn't sure I could do this.

His eyes were wide, vulnerable. We were both breathing hard, so close to each other that I could feel the heat of his body radiating towards mine. I wanted to back up, to run away. This was too close. I couldn't deal with this level of nearness. Only one thing could happen in this sort of situation: pain.

And then he was leaning down towards me and I was falling into him and his mouth was on mine.

* * *

**Hee hee hee! Cliff hanger! *Does happy dance* I love leaving you guys hanging... even if I don't like being left hanging myself! **

**Just so you know, I already have the next chapter finished. Maybe if you beg enough, I'll put it up early... But that will take a whole lot of reviews! MUA HA HA HA!**

**So, please review! I would really appreciate it! And thanks for reading!**

**Love you guys! :)**


	22. Bob

**Hey everyone!**

**I'm posting early, just as you asked. All your lovely reviews convinced me! Although, I may not be able to get the next chapter up on Sunday… I'm uber-busy and the chapter isn't finished yet. I'll try, I promise! Just warning y'all.**

**Also, this chapter has a couple of elements I'm not entirely comfortable with. I had to put it in though, because I was talking to friend about her school (where she has to wear a uniform) and she describes a situation that happened to one of the more popular girls. I really wanted to test it out, see what would happen if such a thing happened to Aria. And it led to the creation of my favorite character ever: Bob!**

**So have fun! If that part is a little weird, well… sue me! I wanted to try it out! And I had fun doing it! And that's what it's all about!**

**Warning!: Mistaking me for JK Rowling could endanger your life! Read with caution!**

* * *

I really wanted someone to Obliviate me. Just pop up and do it. Erase my brain, ease my memory. I _needed _that, because the memory of Sirius's kiss was replaying over and over in my brain.

The taste of his mouth, the feel of his hands, the warmth of his body… I'd managed to conveniently forget all of that in the two years that had passed. Of course, I still remembered, but I'd managed to convince myself that it was just my imagination. His were my first kisses, and first kisses can seem a hell of a lot better than they actually are. Looking back on them, I knew I was sloppy and so was he.

Now, we were both older and much more experienced. I couldn't brush this off as a mere unknowledgeable fantasy. That kiss had been one of the best of my life.

It was seemed like it was out of a romance novel. A crappy one, at that. _After a passionate argument, the two star-crossed lovers fell into the other's arms and exchanged a life-changing kiss._ But we weren't star-crossed lovers, and that kiss certainly wasn't life changing. It was just really, really good.

I'm not sure how long it was before I realized there was something wrong. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds… okay, more like minutes. I managed to make my suddenly lust filled brain comprehend that it was allowing my lips to be kissed by Sirius Black, which absolutely could not happen. I'd pushed away, stared at him in shock for a few heart-wrenching seconds and then fled to the locker rooms. I prayed that no one from the castle had seen us; I didn't need the rumors. Now, I was back in my bed, trying to get to sleep and ignore the fact that my body was still tingling from Sirius's kiss.

* * *

Plan: Ignore him.

Our little friendship could easily be undone. I didn't even need to make an effort. Just go back to pretending I hated his guts. I'd done something stupid, even trying to befriend him. I'd encouraged him, and I couldn't do that, not when there was no chance of 'us' ever happening.

I woke up the morning after The Kiss to blinding sunlight. Most of the time, I woke up as the sun was beginning to rise, and even then I had barely enough time to prep before heading down to eat breakfast. And, it was a Friday, which meant that I had to look extra good. Everyone tried to look a little better on Friday, because they were hoping for a weekend date. I already had a weekend date, but there was no way I was going to go against a fashion-must.

"SHIT!" I jumped out of bed, glancing at the beds around me. My damned friends had already left, apparently deciding to abandon me to my fate. (To be fair, they probably didn't even know I was there. I tend to keep the curtains drawn around my bed when I am gone or sleeping, so it is hard to tell the difference).

"Damn, damn, damn!" It was only twenty minutes until classes started. I would have to go without food if I wanted to look even slightly presentable, and I was not good on an empty stomach. Really. Last time I had gone without breakfast, I had informed McGonagall that I honestly didn't give a damn about her subject and that the only reason she did was because she was an old hag.

…

Yes, I honestly said that. Needless to say, I was in detention for months. McGonagall is a vengeful woman.

I hurried into the bathroom. My hair looked like a rat's nest. I yanked my brush through it, occasionally stopping to use all the hair charms I had ever looked up, which, trust me, was a lot. Finally, it decided to cooperate and I nearly cried with relief. I threw on some version of my uniform and slipped my feet into my comfy black flats, the ones that I had gotten ages ago and really meant to throw away because they were butt ugly. I flung my hair up into a messy bun and stuck my gold hoops through the holes in my ears. I hurriedly checked myself in the mirror and winced. My skirt was a little too short, even for me and the shoes and knee socks clashed horribly with the image I wanted to present. There was only one thing I could do. I unbuttoned the top button on my shirt, making the outfit a little more stylish and casual. There. That was slightly better. I grabbed my bag and hurried out of the Common Room and towards Charms.

I got to Charms just on time. Everyone else was there already. People were staring at me. Obviously, I didn't look quite myself. I ducked my head and hurried to my spot beside Kristy.

Lily and James now sat together. Rayne and Remus did the same. That left Kristy and I to fend for ourselves. She looked at me in askance as I sat down. As soon as I was in my seat, she passed me a note.

(Kristy=**bold**, Aria=_italics_, Lily=underlined, Rayne=_underline and italics_)

**Aria, where the heck have you been?**

I rolled my eyes. _I slept in. I was sleeping when you guys left. I only woke up twenty minutes ago. It was HORRIBLE._

Lily had somehow intercepted our note. She performed a neat little spell that made it so we didn't actually have to pass notes. One of us would write on a piece of paper, and all the rest could see it on their own papers. It was so much easier not to get caught this way.

You guys really shouldn't pass notes.

**Then why did you perform the charm, if you disapprove?**

Because I'm a kind generous soul.

_Don't be such a diva. That's my job._

_Aria! You will not believe the rumors._

Oh no… I looked over at Rayne in alarm. _What rumors?_

Kristy answered. ** People are saying that you and Sirius were making out on the Quidditch pitch last night.**

"WHAT!" I shot up in horror. To everyone else, I'm sure I sounded offended. I was actually just horrified that someone had seen.

"Miss Aria! Please sit down!" Flitwick seemed indignant. Maybe he was in a bad mood as well.

"Yes, professor," I muttered and sat down. I quickly replied. _What the fuck? I can't believe people sometimes!_

Damn it…

_What?_

**Ha ha.**

_WHAT?_

**Lily owes me money. I bet that you hadn't actually done it. She bet you had.**

_Lily! How could you?_

It seemed like something I might accidentally have done to James, back when I was still in denial. You know, getting angry and allowing that and the physical attraction to take control of your body.

_Aria has better sense than that, I'm sure._

_Actually…_

**Aria… you better not be about to make me pay money.**

_Lily's version of events is *ahem* very close to the truth._

HA! Now who owes whom!

_Aria… please tell me you didn't…_

_He was the one that kissed me!!! I didn't do it voluntarily! One moment I'm shouting at him, and the next he's snogging me! I couldn't do anything about it!_

**Ew… gross… Aria has Sirius cooties…**

_Kristy. Please. Quit it._

**You've been violated by his Sirius-ness.**

_You see where all that friendliness got you?_

_Yeah, yeah, I shouldn't have encouraged him like that. That's why I made brilliant plan: Avoid Sirius Like the Plague!_

But… that means you'll be avoiding our whole group of friends…

_Hey, the only reason we hang with the Marauders is because you are dating James._

That's not true! We hung out with them before I began dating James! Because you and James were all buddy-buddy, remember?

_But we didn't hang with them full time!_

**Can I just put out there that I miss spending time just the four of us?**

_Me too._

_Me three. It's all because Kris and Lils are dating guys._

I've wanted some girl time…

**Let's hang out in Hogsmeade after Aria, Lily, and I go on our dates!**

_That's brilliant Kris! We totally should! Meet at Honeydukes?_

_I'm up for it._

James shouldn't mind. He hasn't really hung out with his own friends in a while. We've been a little caught up in our relationship.

_Yeah you have._

**It's been annoying.**

_Oi! Look who's talking. All you seem to be doing lately is snogging Rick._

Since when do you say 'Oi'?

_Since… forever._

_I'm pretty sure that is a Sirius side effect._

**Told you. Cooties.**

_Fuck you._

**Right back at you, lovely.**

At that moment, class ended. I stuffed my books back into my bag, hoping to get a little more details on the rumors and excited by the idea of some quality girl time. I'd been missing my little girl quartet.

Kristy linked her arm through mine as we prepared to exit class. "You look very disheveled today. That's only going to feed the rumors."

I sighed. "I know. I can't help it. When I have a break, I'll go fix myself up."

Lily joined our group on one side, and Rayne on the other. Lily looked at me. "You know that we expect details."

I blushed. I didn't even try to play dumb. "I suppose, if I must."

Rayne nudged me with her elbow. "Drama queen. You want to."

"Well, maybe," I admitted, "Just to get it off my chest."

"Sure." Kristy looked smug.

"I think I know the real issue here. Why you kissed him and all that." Lily told me.

"Shush!" I hushed her. "I'm going to deny the rumors. So keep quiet. And we all know the reason. I was in a weird mood and I just…"

"No, listen. I'm about to be brilliant." Lily leaned in towards me confidentially. "How long has it been since you've had a boyfriend?"

I thought about it. "Four months."

"Really?" Kristy eyes were wide. "Since you've been dating, have you ever been single that long?"

My forehead scrunched up. "No, I haven't."

"See?" Lily tossed her long fiery hair. "You're in withdrawal."

"Hmm…" Rayne was looking at the ceiling with a contemplative air. "Actually… that makes sense."

"I suppose it does," I said grudgingly. "Does this mean I'm now going to randomly snog any guy?"

Lily shook her head. "No. I just think it makes you more willing to snog than normal."

Kristy snorted. "Welcome to my life."

I looked at her. "Thanks. Can I leave now?"

Kristy chuckled. "Sorry dear, I think you are stuck here for a while."

* * *

I'm not sure when I noticed it. Somewhere where in between my second and third classes, I think. But I realized that wherever I walked, guys where stopping and staring at my lower body. More specifically, my legs.

Yeah, my skirt was short. Really short. As in, uber-mini-skirt. As in, my knickers were very close to showing. As in, I must have worn this skirt in first year and forgotten to get rid of it. No one wore a skirt this short at Hogwarts, and especially not me, Aria Colette, popular, innocent little blond girl.

I can't tell you how embarrassing it was to have people staring at me like that. It was just… odd. Uncomfortable. It's not like their stares were bad or anything. They weren't, to use the cliché, 'undressing me with their eyes'. They were just staring, like they couldn't believe it.

It didn't help that when Lily, Kristy and I got out of Muggles Studies, James and the rest of the Marauders were waiting to escort us to lunch. And all of their eyes were immediately glued to my thighs.

Lily coughed. They kept staring. James and Remus looked more shocked than anything else. I sighed, and put my head in my hands.

Lily propped a hand on her hip. "James, it isn't very healthy for our relationship for you to be staring at one of my best friend's legs."

James looked like he was waking from a trance. "Sorry Lily." He grinned sheepishly. "I think I never really realized that Ari was a girl before. It shocked me."

I grinned at him. "Thanks, that makes me feel just great." I was trying to avoid looking at Sirius, who I knew was probably staring. When I glanced at him, though (I couldn't resist), he was looking impassively out the window. I tugged at my skirt. I hoped he didn't think I was wearing this for Amos.

The stares continued all the way down to the Great Hall. I slid over to walk beside Kristy. "Are my knickers showing?" I whispered.

Her lips twitched. "No. But it's a close thing."

I groaned. "If I wasn't so hungry, I would go change." I had managed to refrain from saying anything stupid within the past couple of classes, but that was also a close thing. I had so wanted to, especially with all the idiotic males staring at me.

We had agreed to sit separately from the Marauders today, a rare occasion now. I carefully took my seat, making sure my skirt didn't fly up. I could hear whispers behind me.

We ate for a few minutes, talking about surface sort of things. The girls begged for details on the kiss and I relayed them in a soft whisper. But throughout the entire time, I could hear whispers coming from behind me. I could feel their stares.

"That is it!" I was sick of it. I clambered up onto the bench, and stepped onto the table. All eyes were on me. "Alright! Hi, I'm Aria! Yeah, these are my legs! Now stop bloody staring!" I sat back down, exasperated.

I turned to see Kristy looking at me with raised eyebrows. "I hate men!" I exclaimed.

Lily tugged on my sleeve. "Do you want my voodoo doll?"

It was my turn to stare. "Voodoo doll?"

She nodded, as if this were a perfectly calm and logical thing. "Yes. Back when I was exasperated with James, I made this voodoo doll to curse not just him, but also the entire male population. I named it Bob. Do you want it? It's in my bag somewhere…" She began rummaging through her bag. Note: Get Lily a bag with pockets.

"I would love Bob." I answered. How better to take out my anger than by stabbing some innocent little doll with needles?

"Here." She passed me a very ragged little rag-doll. "And here." There were not only pins, but also safety clips and little miniature nooses. Apparently Lily was very angry as a pubescent pre-teen and teen.

I began stabbing Bob. "Die! Die!"

Someone coughed right behind me. I turned around to see Sirius Black looking mildly frightened. Not good. This voodoo doll was bad luck.

"Uh, Aria, may I talk to you? Privately?" His expression was pleasant in the sort of way that revealed nothing. I glanced around, hoping for a savior, but none appeared. It seemed I had no choice.

"Of course, Sirius." I grabbed a piece of bread and my bag and followed him out of the Great Hall.

He didn't stop just outside the Hall, but kept walking. He led me up a few flights of stairs and down a corridor to an empty classroom. Why we had to go so far for an empty classroom I had no idea. He whirled around to look at me once we were inside and the door was safely shut. His vague expression was gone, replaced by anxiety.

"Look, Aria…" He swallowed. "About last night…"

"We don't have to talk about it," I said hurriedly, leaning back against the door. "We can just pretend it didn't happen."

He looked at me in horror. "No! I don't want to pretend it didn't happen!"

I looked at my hands. "Oh."

His voice was calm, measured. Dangerous. "But you do."

I couldn't lie to him. "Yes."

"Why?" He sounded hurt, uncomprehending. I looked up at him and tried to explain.

"I just… I want to be friends! I like being your friend! I don't… I can't… 'We' aren't ever going to happen. I don't think that I can… I can't let myself… you hurt me and I won't…" I couldn't seem to finish my sentences. I stared at him pleadingly, hoping we would understand.

"You aren't willing to give me another chance." His voice was blunt, unsympathetic.

"That's not it!" I was so frustrated. Why couldn't I speak properly? "I just could never care for you the same way you care for me, and I don't want to encourage you. It's wrong."

"You're lying." It wasn't an argument. It was a statement of fact. "You could love me. That's why you don't want to give me a chance. 'Cause you are so afraid of falling in love and getting hurt. All the rest of what you are saying is just stupid excuses. Cut the crap, Aria, and tell the truth."

"You're wrong!" How could he say those things? He was just trying to feel better. Ugh! I hated him! "You know what, I should never have even tried to be friends with you. Obviously, I should have just gone on hating you. You're such a jerk, Sirius." And I stomped out.

* * *

**So, skirt thing a little awkward? *shrugs* Talk to me! Review! Tell me what you think about poor Bob! And any predictions about the date with Amos? 'Cause that is what's coming up, next chapter!**

**See you! Love you! Review!**


	23. Saunterers

**Hey guys!**

**I know, I know. It's been a while. I hope you know I blew off my homework to get this chapter up for you! I expect cookies in return! From ALL of you! And don't think I don't know who you are. I know EVERY… SINGLE… ONE! MUA HA HA HA!**

**No, kidding. Although I would VERY much like it if you gave me lots of nice reviews. Pretty please?**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a little long. But there is lots of Sirius and quite a bit of rambling Aria.**

**Read and enjoy!**

**WARNING: JK Rowling doesn't have homework to blow off. Therefore, I cannot be her, can I?**

* * *

The day of the Hogsmeade trip was here. And I was stalling.

It had only been a day since I had fought with Sirius, but I already missed him. We had not spoken two words to each other, and were stiff and tense in the other's presence. I would rather have his annoying flirting than this.

I stood in front of the bathroom mirror. My friends had already left. Normally, I would've complained but they all had dates, so I really couldn't. Of course, Lily was with James. They were on their first 'official' date, but all of us really counted my birthday as the First Date, so it didn't have nearly as much giddy-factor. Kristy WAS on her first date with Rick, and they were going to The Three Broomsticks. (I was glad Rick had the sense not to take her to Madame Puddifoot's, where I was going with Amos, I was sure. I hated that place.)

Surprisingly, Remus had asked Rayne out last minute, not as a 'date date', but as a friend. Apparently, he didn't want to hang out with Sirius while he was 'moping over Aria's date'. They were going to meet at some bookstore and spend the whole day eyeing each other over dusty bookshelves. Looking at myself now, I rolled my eyes. Please. The only other person that would find that mildly sexy is Snape, and we all know how he is.

I adjusted my top. I had tucked my hair up in a loose bun, a couple strands curling down in strategic locations. I wore dark skinny jeans with a gray silk blouse and a casual navy cardigan. I was playing up my good girl image. I needed it, after the skirt incident.

"It's okay." What had the world come to? I was talking to my reflection. "The date is going to be fine. You won't worry about Sirius, or anything else. Or Sirius. At all. During the whole thing. You are going to have a great time." The girl in the mirror looked unconvinced.

It was no use putting it off any more. I had to get this date over with, and quickly. I had more important things to do. Like find a way to Obliviate the memory of Sirius's kiss. It had been occupying to great a percent of my thoughts. Like… twenty percent. Or thirty. Or fifty. Or sixty. Or... I really had to stop thinking about it.

As I walked down to meet Amos, I contemplated my utter whininess lately. I'm sure you've noticed. There is always SOMETHING wrong in my bloody life. All this complaining was making me feel… just… not… good.

Amos was waiting at the exit to the castle, his hair slicked back and a button-up shirt on. I put on my widest smile and bounced over to his side.

"Hey!" I wondered how long it would be before my mouth got tired of smiling. I was out of practice…

"Hey." His voice wavered. "So, um… you wanna go?"

I nodded, still smiling. We turned and exited Hogwarts, walking past Filch and down towards Hogsmeade.

We didn't really talk while we walked. Not that you really do, on a first date. Unless you've known the person for a long time. Which we hadn't. It was kind of awkward, like always. Besides, it was rather hard to walk beside Amos. I had to take one and a half steps for every one of his. He was a fast walker, I could tell. You see, there are two types of guys: the fast walkers and the saunter-ers. The fast walkers are either really active, hyper people or totally academic or antisocial. The saunter-ers are your average guys or the cool, arrogant type. I liked saunter-ers. I could easily walk alongside them, because they didn't feel it was necessary to _sprint_. I usually did a little bouncy walk thing, which was actually pretty quick, so if they went slower and I went faster, it evened out. Yeah… Anyhow… I don't think you really needed to know that. Back to Amos.

When we neared Hogsmeade, he cleared his throat. "Uh… so… I was thinking we could go to Madame Puddifoots?"

… See? Told you. I win. You owe me a Chocolate Frog.

I smiled a bit wider and tried not to wince. I wasn't sure what was worse, Puddifoots or my aching mouth muscles. "Sure."

He smiled, a quick little nothing of a smile. Which meant I had to smile back. Damn it.

We walked side by side through the crowded streets of Hogsmeade. I saw other students everywhere, mostly couples. Occasionally someone would smile or wave, and I'd return the gesture. I mostly tried to ignore Amos, who kept clearing his throat. What the bloody hell did he want? Why couldn't he just spit it out?

A few times, I thought I saw a head of long, shiny, black hair. I had a vague suspicion about what Sirius was doing with his Hogsmeade day, but I tried not to dwell on it. If he was stalking me… well, then, he was stalking me. I couldn't do anything about it. At the moment.

Amos opened the door for me when we got to Madame Puddifoots. Oddly enough, it upset me. Chivalry is dead! I wanted to shout at him. But guess what I did instead? Oh, here, I'll give you _options_!

Smiled

Smiled

Or… smiled

If you guessed 'smiled', you would be correct! Now I owe you a Chocolate Frog. Or, actually, neither of us owes each other anything. 'Cause we both owe so we don't owe… Yeah, that makes total sense.

Puddifoots… Do I even need to describe it? It's called Madame Puddifoots, for Merlins sake! It… is… PINK! End story!

We sat near the back, in one of the couple booths that other people can't see that well, so you can snog in peace. I hoped that wasn't what Amos wanted. I wasn't sure I was prepared to snog a fast-walker academic nothing-smiler! Well, not when I was thinking about snogging a certain sauntering slacking drop-dead-smiler. Like I said, I need to be Obliviated. I think its up to seventy percent.

"So." Oh, Merlin, he was going to try to TALK.

"So." I smiled. Yes, my mouth was VERY sore.

"What do you think about the Transfiguration homework?" Homework. Fast walker.

I answered without thinking. "I'll probably put it off until it's due and then tell McGonagall I'll sleep with her if she gives me the points. Old hag probably needs some sexual activity. I'm sure she's not picky."

I wish you could've seen his face. Hys-ter-i-cal. And I couldn't laugh. Damn it.

He chuckled weakly. "Oh, ah, funny." He nodded, his smile more of a grimace. "You know, I find Transfiguration very interesting. The ability of wizards to change something into something else dates back to the cave man times. The first wizard cave man transfigured a rock into food for his tribe and they hailed him as a god and he was-"

Somewhere around this point I stopped listening and went into smile and nod mode. I also started playing a game of 'What If' with myself.

'What if Amos's nose was a tomato?'

'What if Amos's tongue was a fish?'

'What if Amos started snogging Madame Puddifoot (who kept making eyes at him) with his tomato nose and fish tongue?'

'What if-'

"EVACUATE!!!" I jolted from my imagined scene that involved Amos's fish tongue, Madame Puddifoot, and some very sloppy French Kissing (which makes me wonder about my sanity and whether my head is completely okay) to see a purplish haze floating out of the kitchen. By the way Puddifoot was now breaking out into singing pimples, I figured that the purplish stuff was not good. Taking my chance, I ran.

I bolted out the door of the shop and raced off in who knows what direction. I was coughing; I must have been allergic to something in the potion. I couldn't see quite right through my watery eyes. So I kept running.

At some point, I had such a violent coughing fit that I couldn't see at all. So, of course, I hurled right into someone.

"Whoa! Aria! Are you okay?" The voice was like chocolate covered caramel. Merlin. Damn it…

I attempted to speak through my coughing. "Yeah." Cough attack. "Fine. Really."

"Here. Drink this!" A glass of something was shoved into my hands. I knew it could be poison or, more likely coming from Sirius, a love potion. But I really wanted to stop wheezing. I chugged it down.

Sure enough, my coughing ceased. I looked up at Sirius. His hair was mussed and he was breathing as heavily as I was. He must have been running too.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked weakly, steadying myself on the beige wall right next to me. "And with Cough Potion stuff?"

He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "If you must know, some bitter old lady thought I'd put a vile of Singing Pimples in her kitchen, which works not just through drinking, but through the fumes. She set her sons on me. There were about twenty of them, so I ran."

I arched an eyebrow. "Madame Puddifoot has twenty sons?" He was probably just trying to not look cowardly.

He nodded vehemently. "I know! I was surprised too. With the way she decorates, you wouldn't think she'd get that much action. But apparently some guys go for that." He glared at me. "Like your nancy boy, Diggory."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh come on. Don't be an arse."

He crossed his arms. Didn't say anything. I fidgeted.

See, I'd only just realized that I was in an empty alleyway, in some random part of Hogsmeade, with none other than Sirius Black, whose kissing abilities were occupying seventy percent of my thoughts. Or eighty. Or… Yeah, you get the point.

"Look!" I burst out. "I'm sorry I'm such a bitch! And I'm sorry that I'm not totally in love with you. And I'm sorry I kissed you back, but it was really hard not to because you are an awesome kisser. And I'm sorry I ran away and let this get all weird and didn't believe you about Madame Puddifoots twenty sons. And I'm sorry I abused Bob and went out with a fast walker. I want to be friends but I don't want to date. I can't date right now. I'm not in a dating place. If dating were a city, it would be Oakland, California, while I'm in London. Totally different places. But I was wrong, 'cause you have feelings and I shouldn't be abusing that by not letting you know where we stand. And I'm also sorry because I lied when I said you didn't have a chance 'cause you do but not right now and I did want to say I could be convinced otherwise. And-"

Sirius had a very odd look on his face. It was then I realized I had been rambling. Out loud. I blushed and looked down at the ground.

"You know," he said unexpectedly. I jumped. "It's really cute when you go on like that."

I bit my lip and scuffed at the ground. This was… weird. "Thanks… I think."

"Maybe I was a bit over the top, about the whole thing."

Shocked, I looked up at him. His head was tilted slightly and he was looking at me dead on. There was a littler crease between his eyebrows. It was adorable.

"Um…" I wasn't sure what to say. "Over the top… about… what?"

He shrugged, glancing away. "Being jealous. Still, you suck at dealing with your issues Aria."

I winced. "I know."

"You shouldn't have avoided me."

I hung my head. "I know."

"I thought we were friends."

"We are!" I tried to catch his eyes, stepping closer. "I just… wanted all the benefits of you liking me with none of the consequences. I have such a bitch, I know. But honestly…" I swallowed. "I like being your friend. And… I'd really love it, if you could give me another chance."

His lips tightened. "Why should I give you another chance, if you won't give me one?"

Oh crap. He was right. I hugged myself. This meant… shit. I squared my shoulders. "You're right."

His eyebrows shot up. "What?" His voice was wary, yet hopeful.

I closed my eyes. "If I want another chance, I should give you one. But, here's the thing." I opened my eyes to look straight at him. "I'm not ready to just go out with you right now. I'm not in that place. But I promise you, before the end of this year, I will give you that chance. And in the meantime… I give you leave to do whatever sort of flirting stuff you want. I want blow up at you."

His silver eyes narrowed. "You promise?"

I nodded, stepping closer again. "If you do."

Sirius extended his hand and I slid mine into it. "Promise."

"Promise."

* * *

Now, that's all jolly well and good. But here's the bad part. Remember how I was supposed to meet Lily, Rayne and Kristy at Honeydukes? Yeah, well, in all that running, I had ended up in a bizarre alley in a completely unknown neighborhood in Hogsmeade, with absolutely no idea how to get back. Unfortunately, Sirius had no idea either.

"Crap!" I paced back and forth, practically tearing out my hair. "Crap, shit, damn, fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

"Yes, because shouting profanities is really helpful right now," Sirius commented dryly. I glared at him. If he didn't watch it, his head wasn't going to be attached to his body for very long.

"Well, it's better than lounging against a wall!" I shouted at him. I tried to think back. Which direction had I turned to get onto this street?

Sirius pushed away from the wall and sighed. "You know, for a pretty bright person, you can be pretty stupid sometimes."

I looked at him in shock. "You know, if this is your tactic for getting girls, I am seriously doubting the validity of your man-whore-ness."

He froze, slowly turning to look at me. "Man… whore… ness?"

I waved a dismissive hand. "You have got to be aware that you have a reputation of a… 'ladies man', 'one night stand', etc, etc, etc."

"Yes, but 'man whore'?"

"Well, that's what you are, isn't it?"

"Hell no!"

"Come on. How many girls have you snogged? Or better yet, shagged?"

"None of your business."

"As your eventual girlfriend, it is my business."

"Well then, how many guys have you snogged?"

"… Touché." Damn him and his quick mind. "Anyway, what was your brilliant idea for getting us to Honeydukes?"

"Oh, yeah." Sirius blinked a few times, recovering his train of thought. "A Point Me charm."

I snorted. "That spell only works in mazes and such places. You can't actually use it in a city, because you can't choose a destination."

"Exactly." He pointed his wand at me. "That is the basic problem with the normal spell version. We Marauders found a modified version, with which you can select a destination."

My mouth fell open slightly. "Really?" Suddenly a thought struck me. "Why didn't you just use it in the beginning."

He glanced up, a devilish grin on his face. "Because you are so adorable when you are anxious."

I smacked my forehead with my hand. "Merlin, boy, is everything about your hormones?"

He granted me a full blown, glittering smile. "Pretty much." He put the wand in the palm of his hand. "Point me Honeydukes!" The wand spun for a few seconds, then pointed to the right. I stomped around the corner to the right. Sirius easily caught up with me.

"Hey, Aria?"

I grunted, "What?"

"If all that 'stupid' stuff and the sarcasm is irritating to you, I can cut it." He said this reluctantly, as if this was a major concession.

I thought about it for a few seconds, biting my lip. "No," I decided, "That would be trying to change you. I like you the way you are. Complete with comments about my mental power and sarcasm."

"Huh." He seemed mildly surprised. "I thought every girl wanted to change a guy."

I shrugged. "Maybe every girl does. I just don't want to change _you._"

His grin was just a little too cocky, so I amended myself. "Well, most of the time. However, there are certain things that would be better with just a little tweaking. For instance, the stalking thing. I am probably going to date other guys. I don't want to have to worry about you following me and putting Singing Pimple potions in the kitchen."

He smirked. "For your information, it actually wasn't me who put the Singing Pimple potion in the kitchen."

I glanced disbelievingly at him. "Who did you hire to do it?"

Sirius grinned even wider. "A first year."

I sighed, shaking my head. "What am I going to do with you?"

The arrogant grin was back in full force. "There are a whole bunch of very naughty things I could suggest."

I screwed my face up in a look of horror. "EWWWW!!! SIRIUS COOTIES!!!"

"That was random."

"Get away from me, you dirty dog!"

"HEY! I'm a very clean dog! And haven't you heard dogs mouths are cleaner than humans?"

"Not true!"

"Uh-huh! Some Muggles did a study on it or something."

"Liar, liar, pants on fire!"

"More dirtiness…"

"GROSS GROSS GROSS!"

"Prude!"

"Perv!"

"Good girl!"

"Dirty old man!"

"Toddler!"

"Depraved!"

"Innocent!"

"DOG!"

"YOU WISH YOU WERE A DOG!"

The completely odd thing about this conversation was that we kept walking while we were yelling. Which was really bizarre looking, I can tell you.

After Sirius's last comment, I just gave him this really weirded out look and started walking faster. This time, he didn't bother to keep up.

"Hurry up!" I complained. "You are such a slow poke."

Catching up easily, he smirked. Again. "Oh come on. Look at those tiny legs of yours. I was letting you think you were faster."

I stopped, putting my hands on my hips. Startled, he halted as well. "You are just frustrated because I'm so much faster than you, you saunter-er."

His eyebrows knitted together. "What did you just…? Never mind. If you think you are so fast, I challenge you to a race."

Flipping my hair, I stared him down. "You're on." Catching him by surprise, I immediately started sprinting. "First one to Honeydukes wins!" I called back at him.

It was only a few blocks to the candy store, and I was sprinting as fast as I possibly could. I could feel him behind me, catching up easily. I pushed myself harder and…

BAM! I slammed my hand onto the door of Honeydukes, Sirius almost running into me. I whirled around, triumphant. "HA! IN YOUR FACE, BLACK!"

His hair was clinging to his face, whipped around by the speed of his motion. "YOU CHEATER! YOU GOT A HEAD START! AND I TOTALLY LET YOU WIN!"

I pushed him. Hard. "AS IF! YOU'RE JUST ASHAMED YOU GOT BEATEN BY A GIRL!"

He opened his mouth to respond, but someone interrupted him. "Sirius? Aria?"

I turned to my left. Standing there, mouths almost hitting the ground, were my friends. All three little couples. They must have run into each other on the way here. James was the one who had spoken. He looked less surprised than the rest, oddly enough.

"Hi James!" I waved. "I just beat Sirius in a foot race!"

"Did not!" Sirius was kinda pissed. It was also kinda hot.

I love the fact that I no longer feel the need to deny my attraction to him. After all, I promised I would date him sometime this year. I had better be attracted to him.

I stuck out my tongue at him.

Lily rubbed her head, like it hurt. "I thought you too weren't talking again."

I shrugged. "Things happen."

Sirius tossed his hair and spoke in a high-pitched voice. "She just, like, couldn't resist me."

I smacked him. And then burst out laughing.

"Ooookay." Kristy sidled forward. "As cute as this is, we have a girls day planned. Break it up and saw ta-ta, you couple, you."

"You're one to talk," I muttered, looking pointedly at her warm wrapped around Rick and his face nuzzled in her hair.

She flipped me the finger.

I restrained my laughter and turned to Sirius. "It was nice settling things."

He put his hands in his pockets and grinned. "Yeah. It was."

"See you round." I returned the grin without having to think.

"See you." He turned around and strode away. James and Remus waved goodbye and followed him. After a lengthy snog, Rick detached himself from Kristy and left to go find his buddies.

"So." I turned to the girls, who were all staring at me.

Advancing towards me, Lily smiled deviously. "Spill. Everything. Now."

I groaned as they took my arms and hauled me into the sweets shop, presumably to wring me dry.

Hey, no one can say they don't care.

* * *

**Soooo… thoughts? I wish I could have put more girl time in, but… this chap was SO… BLOODY… LONG! Oh well! Maybe another time.**

**Please review!**

**Love you!**


	24. We Always Think the Worst of Them

**Hey guys!**

**Yes, it's been forever, I suck, blah blah blah.**

**I won't be updating for a little longer. Finals are next week, EEP!**

**This chapter is okay. There is a terrific Aria and James scene. Sometimes I wish I shipped James/OC… but I don't. And he COMPLETELY belongs with Lily. *sigh* I guess that leaves Sirius and Aria to muddle through things. **

**Speaking of, there is very little Siri in this chap, but he'll be there more in the next one. I'll talk more about that after.**

**So, read and enjoy!**

**WARNING: JK would not abuse poor Bob.**

* * *

You want to guess what day it is tomorrow? Come on, guess. It's not that hard. I'll even give you clues.

It's a Muggle holiday

I get to dress up

I also get to eat a lot of candy and get fat!

If you guessed Halloween, you would be correct! YAY!

Tomorrow is the day of the Halloween Masquerade dance. A.K.A Time for me to put my brilliant plan into action.

You see, the girls and I came up with this plan after I told them about my day in Hogsmeade. Here, let me replay the conversation for you.

**********

_Kristy looked dubious. "You promised him you would go out with him sometime this year?"_

_I nodded. "Yeah. I mean, it doesn't mean we're together by any means. I still don't, you know, love him or anything. I'm interested, but that is completely different. You can be interested in anyone. It was more a way of being fair to him than anything else."_

_Rayne sighed in relief. "Good. I was frightened you had succumbed to his charm."_

_Lily smiled helpfully. "If you ever need to be reminded of the evilness of men, just ask for Bob."_

_I hid my grin behind a hand. "Thank you, Lily."_

_Pursing her lips, Kristy spoke, "How do you know that he is going to stay true to you after this?"_

_I frowned. "What?"_

_She snapped her fingers. "In his mind, you've given into him. Sure, you haven't admitted you like him, but saying you'll give him a chance is probably equivalent in his puny brain. He feels he 'made a conquest', probably. How do you know he won't start speed dating again and forget about being in love with you?"_

_I rolled my eyes. "Kris, you always think the worst of him."_

_Rayne tapped her chin. "She could be right."_

_I groaned, dropping my face into my hands. "Guys…"_

_Lily patted my shoulder. "Look, Ari. Maybe you should set some sort of test, see how loyal he really is."_

_I glared at her. "Why would I do that? I think I've tortured the poor guy enough."_

_Kristy put her hands on her hips. "We are just trying to look out for you. Merlin, Aria. You don't want him to break your heart again, do you?"_

_I crossed my arms in front of my chest. Sometimes, friends are more trouble than they are worth. "He is not going to have a chance to break my heart this time, I don't think. Once I give him his second shot, I can just tell him kindly that I don't think we will work out and end it. It's the best thing to do."_

_The corners of Lily's mouth turned down. "That sounds really bad, you know."_

_I sighed. "I guess I'm assuming it won't work out."_

"_What if it does work out and you want to keep dating him?" Rayne asked. "You should be assured beforehand of his loyalty and all that jazz."_

"_I don't know which sounds worse, what you guys are suggesting or what I was planning on doing." I rubbed my head. My good mood was wearing off fast._

"_Rs don't be stupid. Don't jump into something without being positive of what you are doing first. Make sure his love is true, not just some perverted way of getting in your pants," Kristy advised._

_See, until that moment, I had completely believed that Sirius truly loved me. Now, my friends were making me question that. What if Sirius didn't really love me? Looking back, he'd never really done anything to make me positive of his regard. Just said a bunch of pretty words and practically stalked me. He'd tricked me once. I didn't think he could trick me again… but what if he could?_

"_Shit," I muttered. My head was aching from thinking this hard. I wished I had never come up with this girls' time thing. They were playing off my insecurities. Damn them._

"_Fine then," I spat. "I'll set some kind of test. He'll probably get pissed at me and we'll start fighting all over again. On one condition." I narrowed my eyes at Rayne. Her teddy bear eyes widened. "Rayne has to ask Remus to go to the Masquerade Ball with her."_

_The look on Rayne's face… It showed all the feelings that she had come to associate with Remus mixed up with anxiety, terror, and surprise. "I can't do that," she said._

_Rolling my eyes, I refused to let her get out of it. "Sure you can. Go up to the guy and ask him to be your date."_

_She shook her head vehemently. "He doesn't feel the same way back. I'm sure. There's always a part of him that isn't there when we are talking. He isn't interested in me that way."_

"_But you're interested in him?" I confirmed. She nodded. "Well then, take a chance! Live a little! The last guy you dated with Siri, wasn't it?" Again, she nodded reluctantly. "If you like Remus, you should risk asking him. For all you know, he does like you, and he's been hiding it because he doesn't think you like him."_

_Rayne's whole face was screwed up, like she'd just tasted something sour. "You drive a hard bargain, Ari."_

_I grinned, knowing I'd won. "I try."_

"_Fine then. Deal." She extended her hand._

"_Deal." I shook it._

**********

Now you see my dilemma. Of course, I do have a plan thought out. I'm just hoping Rayne won't fulfill her end and I won't have to go through with it.

It's the day before the dance, and she still hasn't asked him. It's part irritating and part good. I want her to ask Remus… but I also don't want to have to go through with my plan. Which I'm not going to tell you, by the way.

The only thing I'm going to tell you is this whole thing embarrasses me. Merlin, I hope no one finds out.

I headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast, skipping. I had gotten up early, as usual and slipped out to the library, reading up on some spells for my plan. I was hurrying to get downstairs. Who knew when Rayne was going to ask Remus? I just wanted to be there to see him say yes, like I knew he would. He obviously liked Rayne and she was too blind to see it.

As I entered the Great Hall, my eyes immediately scanned the room for my friends. There they were, seated in our normal place, everyone talking like normal. Rayne and Remus were chatting about something. Merlin, she had to just get it over with!

The rest of the day carried on in much the same fashion. It was at dinner when I was finally able to pull the girls aside.

"Rayne," I said threateningly. "We shook on it. And you haven't met the terms of our agreement yet. You've got to do it tonight or my brilliant-yet-totally-sleazy plan is off!"

Rayne bit her lip. "I'm nervous."

"Welcome to my world," muttered Kristy. "How do you think I felt getting up and snogging Rick like that? Merlin, at least you get to ask him out in private."

"Exactly!" Lily declared, "James always asked me out in front of the entire school. Can you say embarrassing?"

"Precisely." I put my hands on my hips. "Are you going to ask him?"

Rayne winced. "Yes. I'll ask him tonight, while we are out on prefect duties."

I clapped her on the shoulder. "Go with courage, raven! Take some of our Gryff bravery with you!"

She gave me an odd look. "You know, the symbol of the Ravenclaw house is actually an eagle."

"Really?" I blinked. Twice. "How odd…"

Lily gave me an exasperated look. "How could you not know that?"

"Maybe because she hasn't read Hogwarts: A History thirty million times like you have, Lils," Kristy came to my defense.

"Exactly!"

"I have not read it _that _many times," muttered Lily.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"EEP!" James had snuck up out of nowhere. As is evident by the screech, I was surprised.

"James!" Lily gushed, hugging him. "We were just having a little girl chat."

"Oh." He looked somewhat disappointed. "Well, I was wondering if Ari wanted to go out and fly a little. We haven't hung out at the pitch in a while."

I beamed. "That'd be terrific! I'll go get changed!"

Lily's smile seemed a little strained. "Oh. Well. Have fun."

James smiled fondly, apparently unaware of Lily's discomfort. "See you later, beautiful." Maybe he had noticed. His fond nickname thawed her out a little.

That's when I realized Lily was _jealous_. How odd. Jealous of James… wanting to hang out with _me._ Damn. I was going to have to set this straight later.

That didn't mean I wasn't going to go flying though.

* * *

Flying with James is one of my favorite things to do. It's odd, but whenever we're in the air, I feel like I have this connection to him that no one else has, not Lily or Sirius or Remus. I don't know. It's beyond crazy, but to some extent, I'm jealous of Lily. I liked being his 'favorite girl'. There's no way he could call me that anymore, because Lily's his favorite girl. Besides, I've barely seen him recently. He's always with Lily and… I don't want to burst in on their little couple thing. I love them both and I love them together but… I'm still so _jealous._ Beyond weird.

"Ready to land?" James called out to me from across the pitch. We'd been doing everything imaginable in the air, from racing to pulling crazy stunts. I would have been reluctant to descend, but I knew that when we landed, we'd still have tons left to do. James liked doing conditioning _after_ flying, for who knows what reason. We'd probably do a crazy amount of stretching and then go for a couple miles run.

We didn't talk while we were stretching, but running was a different matter.

"How are things going with Lily?" I asked as soon as we had a solid pace going.

A far away smile lit up his face. "I've never been so happy in my life, Ari. I owe you so much for helping us get together. She's… she's…" He shrugged, like he couldn't find words good enough. "She's my everything."

I smiled fondly. Even as jealous as I was, seeing James happy made me happy. "I'm glad. That you've found your everything."

He turned his head to grin right at me. "You're so good about this whole thing, but I know you, Rs. It can't be easy for you, having all of your friends so wrapped up in relationships. We've been neglecting you and Padfoot, haven't we?"

I shrugged, even though the answer was pretty much yes. "Not entirely. The girls and I have hung out a few times. And we all eat together."

We were silent for a few minutes; the only sound our labored breath.

Suddenly, James spoke. "Have you talked to Narcissa recently?"

Surprised, I glanced at him quickly. "We've been owling each other. But face to face, no."

He nodded, like I'd confirmed a suspicion of his. "Every time you talk about her, well, it makes you happy. She's your best friend, right?"

Almost reluctantly, I nodded. "Yeah. Always."

"I know that you've been staying away from her because she thinks the whole Slytherin thing isn't healthy for you and because you are afraid of relapsing into smiley-girl. But…" He paused to take a deeper breath. "I don't see you going back to your old self. I think you should see her. Hang out with her. It'll make you happy and I think…" He paused again. "I think you can talk to her about some of the things you don't feel you can talk to the rest of us about. You and her have been through a lot together. Don't stop seeing her because you're afraid. She… supports you, you know?"

I gaped at James. "I never thought I'd hear _you_ say that."

He gave a tiny smile. "I have to admit, I've been worrying about you ever since you spoke in the fan club. You need someone you can tell everything to. And I think the best person for that is Narcissa. I would volunteer but… I haven't been through the same sorts of things. I don't think you'd be nearly as comfortable talking to me. If you ever want to, though… I'm here. Just because I'm Lily's boyfriend doesn't mean we aren't still mates."

Impulsively, I threw my arms around him. The sideways motion in the middle of running caused us both to topple over.

"Ow!" I laughed, rolling off James onto the soft grass. "Sorry! Are you okay?"

"Man, you are HEAVY!" James put a hand to his heart. "I think you've killed me."

"Bastard!" I slapped him lightly on the chest, still giggling. "Playing with my maternal worrying feelings."

He raised his eyebrows. "You? Maternal? I don't think so. You being a mum would be disastrous. Seriously. I would feel bad for your children."

"Jerk!" I grabbed some nearby leaves and flung them at him. "How dare you!"

He sprang up, more leaves in his hands. "How dare _you_! It is ON!"

I'm sure you can guess the rest. Let me tell you, though. Snowball fights are so over rated. Leaf wars with one of your best mates? Those are the best.

* * *

After cleaning up and showering, James and I headed up to the Common Room, arms slung around each other's shoulders. Sometimes, it didn't surprise me that James hadn't really realized I was a girl until the Dreaded Skirt Day. He treated me just like one of his Marauders.

James had to help me through the portrait hole, because of my shortness and we came into the Common Room joking and laughing about it. I immediately scanned the room for Rayne and Remus, but they were gone. Probably on their prefect duties. I did see Lily, Sirius, Kristy, Rick and Pettigrew, though. Besides Kris and Rick, who were snogging, they all looked uncomfortable, like this wasn't exactly where they wanted to be.

"Hey guys," I greeted them. Lily gave me an almost glare. Damn. I needed to talk to her _now._

"Lils?" I gave her a timid smile. "Can I have a moment of your time?"

She pursed her lips. "Fine." Huffily, she got up and stalked over to the corner. I followed cautiously. As soon as we were somewhat secluded, she spun on me.

"What do you want, Aria? If it was my boyfriend, you could have just said so. You don't need to go trying to steal him from me! James is mine, and if you have an issue with that, maybe you should have told me in the first place! I wouldn't have started dating him, if I had known you liked him! Merlin, Aria! Anything if it meant I wouldn't have to see the two of you rolling around on the Quidditch pitch and-"

"WHAT?" My shocked question was abnormally loud. I ignored the weirded out looks we were getting and continued in a low hiss. "I do _not_ want James _at all._ You know how I am! I like to hug my friends and hold hands and all that. It doesn't mean-"

"YES IT DOES!" Lily didn't even bother to tone down her voice. "IT DOES IF IT'S MY BOYFRIEND!"

"I DON'T LIKE JAMES THAT WAY!"

"THEN START ACTING THAT WAY!"

"FINE I WILL!"

"DO THAT!"

"FINE!"

"FINE!"

"Ummmm… what the hell is going on?"

Lily and I turned around to see James standing there, looking bewilderedly at us, along with the rest of the Gryffindor house.

I gave my best, fakest smile. "Absolutely nothing! Lily and I were just talking about-"

"Bob!" Lily cut in, smiling as well. "I was saying how Aria took my Bob away from me-"

"And I was saying that Bob wanted me more. After all, he practically lives in my bed." I continued the lie, expanding it a little.

"And I was telling Ari that Bob and I had a long and extensive relationship. He's on loan to her, for her special needs at this time. But he's really mine." Lily looked like her face was about to crack from smiling.

"And I was refuting that Bob is getting more use with me. After all, now that she has you, Lily has less of those needs." We were getting a lot of odd looks from the other kids. James was looking a little… offended?

Sirius coughed. "Just who is Bob?"

"Oh!" I slapped myself on the forehead. "How could I have forgotten?" I turned to Lily. "Do you want to explain?"

"But of course, Aria." Lily gave a fond smile. "Bob is my voodoo doll." She dug in her pocket and pulled out dear old Bob. "See?"

I nodded, explaining. "Lily used to use him to take her anger about the male population."

Lily patted Bob's head. "But now Aria is really more needed of him, so…"

I grabbed Bob from Lily. "She lends him to me." I smiled at her, widely and she smiled back. "Isn't that right Lily?"

She beamed back. "Of course Aria. Of course."

"Oh," James sighed in relief. " 'Cause I thought-"

The common room door burst open. All eyes flew to the portrait hole. In stormed Rayne, face stained red with tears.

Lily ran up to her. "Rayne, what the hell happened to you?"

She brushed Lily off and stomped up to me. "He said no!" She yelled in a raspy voice. "I hope you're happy!" Without anything more, she burst into tears and ran up the girls' stairway to our dorm. Kristy immediately went after her and as I went to follow, Lily stopped me.

"I think you'd better stay down here," she said, her eyes cold. Apparently, she was still angry. With one last glare, she ran up to Rayne.

The reality of the situation crashed down on me. Remus had said no. Lily thought I was messing around with James. And I had an idiotic plan to subject Sirius too.

Damn.

* * *

**Blah.**

**So, Aria is in a mess, like usual. She is one troublesome child, isn't she? *shakes head* Honestly…**

**There is actually foreshadowing in this chap for something that I think happens with Aria's story, but I won't ever write about. I'll tell you my secret, at the very end… hee hee…**

**So, next chap is going to have a LOT of a special friend who hasn't gotten much time in the limelight thus far. I'll give you three hints:**

**He is a Marauder**

**He is not a creeper**

**He has a furry little problem**

**And, of course, Aria will enact her nasty little plan… or will she?**

**Please review!**

**Love you all!**


	25. PJs

**Hey guys!**

**I know, I know. Long time. My bad. I suck. You can use Bob to punish me, if you want.**

**BUT, I am trying to make it up! There are 7,518 words in this chapter! That is TWO of my normal chaps in ONE. You like?**

**I feel like this chapter starts off weird. No matter how I tried to write it, it wasn't coming out right. Soooo… I just wrote through it and left it. Sorry if it sucks. It gets better, I think.**

**Please read and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I wasn't JK Rowling for the last 25 chapters. Why would I be now?**

* * *

Despite what Lily's warning, I couldn't just stay downstairs. I rushed up after Rayne; wanting to do anything I could to salvage the situation. I mean, we all were _friends._ We're there for each other through the highs and the lows. Rayne couldn't really blame me for her rejection, could she? She'd sob and cry and moan and we'd bash Remus because we all knew it was his bloody fault, the guilty male. She wouldn't turn on _me._ Would she?

I cracked open our dormitory door and peered in to find Rayne huddled on the floor, sobbing like the world was going to end. Lily was sitting beside her, arms wrapped tightly around her. "It's okay. It's all right. He's an idiot. You're wonderful."

Rayne threw her head back, wailing in a broken voice. "I kn-n-new he didn't f-f-feel the same wa-a-ay! But she-e-e…!"

Kristy was kneeling on the floor a few feet away. "You can't blame Aria. She honestly thought Remus was into to you. She never dreamed he would say no!"

Rayne shook her head frantically. "Y-y-yes s-s-he did! It's all r-r-revenge f-f-for when S-S-Sirius ch-ch-cheated on her with m-m-me!"

Lily stroked Rayne's long, dark hair. "Shhh… it's all right. We'll talk to Aria tomorrow and find out what happened. Right now, you rant all you want." Kristy leaned away, made uneasy by this statement, but made no move to object.

Silently, I slid the door closed. My normally vibrant thoughts were dull and gray. I couldn't even dramatize this in my head. Which shows something was seriously wrong. My head was blank, thoughts nonexistent instead of rambling. I sank to the ground outside the door. One of my very best friends was blaming me for her misery. It was almost enough to make me run to Cissy again.

And why shouldn't I? After all, all this _feeling_ was what caused problems in the first place. If I went back, to Cissy, to Slytherin, to _home_, I'd be numb once again. I sat for who knows how long, feeling homesick.

When I began to feel something besides sadness again, it was dark. I could no longer hear voices from downstairs, trying to figure out what was going on. The crackle of the fire was the only sound.

Like an old woman, I slowly pulled myself to my feet. I couldn't stay here all night. I needed to _do_ something. I needed to _help_ somehow. I was filled with fierce burning determination, which turned to righteous anger. Who was Remus Lupin to turn down Rayne Hale, one of the smartest girls in our year; beautiful in a small, dark way; quiet about her feelings, but so insightful? Who did he think he was? Abruptly, my feet were moving quickly, my anger fueling my steps as I raced back into the Common Room and then up into the boy's tower. I past the first year's room, the second year's, up and up and up. I ran, growing faster as new hatred burned within me, as it can only do when you are trying to find an outlet for your pain.

I didn't know much about Remus. I had never known him anywhere near as well as the rest of the Marauders. So, there was nothing to defend him from this new image I was constructing. That of a womanizer in disguise, a quiet boy who got girls' hopes up and them smashed them to the ground.

I flung open the door to the seventh year boys' dormitory. I caught only a glimpse of Sirius and James's surprised faces before I was rushing at the slight, brown haired boy who was now my bitter enemy. I threw myself at him, knocking him to the floor and preceded to punch every inch of him I could find. (You can really tell how deranged I was because I managed to forget I owned such a thing as a wand).

"YOU FILTHY, DISGUSTING BASTARD!" I began to shriek as I assaulted him. "YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE. I BET YOUR PARENTS CRY WHEN THEY SEE YOUR UGLY MUG, THEY ARE SO ASHAMED. I CAN'T BELIEVE A PERSON LIKE YOU WOULD DARE TO EXIST! HOW COULD YOU **DO** THAT TO HER! HOW COULD YOU!"

This long rant only took a few seconds. Words flew out of me like bats out of hell. Vaguely, in the back of my head, I noted that Remus was doing absolutely nothing to defend himself. I was so blinded by rage that this did not even register to my consciousness.

"ARIA!" Strong arms grabbed me around my waist and yanked me off Remus. I struggled against them, kicking and clawing. "Aria, what do you think you are DOING?!"

"Getting revenge on that dirty scum-ball for my friend!" I screeched, trying desperately to resume attack. In front of me, James rushed to help his friend up, checking his injuries as he did so.

I screamed in rage. Sirius's voice yelled over mine, "ARIA, CALM DOWN!" I saw nothing but red, tinting my vision. James's voice barely made it through to me, "I think she's hysterical! Should I slap her?"

Violence raged through my mind. I wanted to tear Remus Lupin to pieces. I wanted scratch him and scream. I wanted to smash his head against the wall until he repented for all his sins and begged for mercy. I wanted to take out my wand and slash him up until-

My mind froze. Red cleared in an instant and was replaced with fright. Never, _ever_ had I had thought this violently before. Never had I lost control like this. Never I had I ever become what I had been so frightened of. Because right now, I was sure that if I looked in the mirror, I would see my mother's face.

I had sworn, as a kid, that I would never be like her. I would always talk first; never use violence as the answer. But here I was, attacking someone else, for the sole reason of getting my self-hatred out. I looked into Remus's face, his pure, innocent face that had taken every word I said to the bottom of his heart. And I began to cry.

"I'm sorry," I gasped out in between heaving sobs, "I'm so, so sorry!"

"Aria?" James asked tentatively, sounding unsure. I simply stood there, trying to get a hold on my emotions. Suddenly, the arms that had been restraining me turned me around and enveloped me.

"It's okay Aria," came Sirius's husky voice from above. "It's okay. You aren't anything like her."

And then I cried even harder because he understood.

* * *

It was a while before I could talk rationally. Sirius held me the whole time, not speaking but simply holding me. In the back round, I could hear James fixing up Remus's bruises, which, luckily, weren't too extensive. Pettigrew scrambled around oddly like the little rat he was.

When I was calmed down, I pulled away from Sirius, sniffing. "Thank you," I muttered, embarrassed. "I'm sorry I came in here and made a scene."

"Ah…" James wrinkled his nose. "I almost said no problem, but that's not exactly right. It _was_ a problem… in this particular case."

I nodded, head hanging with shame. "I know what you mean. Me busting in here and attempting to beat up one of your friends _is_ an issue."

Sirius ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "Why did you do it, Ari? You aren't a violent person, and as far as I know, Remus didn't do anything wrong."

I looked up at the four boys through my shield of hair. "I… He… Rayne. He told Rayne no. When he so _obviously_ likes her."

Everyone stared at me. I ducked my head, trying to hide. Out loud, it sounded like such a crap reason. Why did my head make ridiculous things make sense? I really ought to do something about it. Go see a… what do you call them? Crazy doctors? Psyches? The people that you talk to and they reaffirm your insaneness and then make you take a lot of pills. Not that I wanted to take a whole bunch of pills. But, if it kept me from rambling in my head, I'd swallow an elephant.

"Umm…" Remus spoke up for the first time. There was a bruise on his cheek from where I hit him. I flinched away from the sight. "Is Rayne… very upset?"

"Upset would be an understatement," I told him bluntly, staring at the floor. "She was sobbing the last time I saw her."

Remus looked stricken with guilt. "Did she… ask you to come in and hit me?"

I shook my head violently, tears welling up again. Remus was trying so hard to think the best of me, and I was about to disappoint him. "No. She hasn't spoken to me." I looked up at him, begging for him to understand. I sucked in a deep breath. "You-see-I-dared-her-to-ask-you-out-and-since-you-said-no-she's-blaming-me-for-her-rejection-so-I-got-all-upset-and-needed-someone-to-blame-so-my-fucked-up-brain-told-me-it-was-your-fault-and-that's-why-I-came-in-here-and-I'm-so-sorry!"

The Marauders were gaping at me. James let out a low whistle. "I didn't know anyone could say that much without taking a breath. Do you have extraordinary breathing powers?"

I blinked at him, muddled. "No, I don't think so…" I scrunched up my eyebrows, thinking hard. "Then again, I have been known to stay underwater for minutes without taking a breath or doing any training prior." Bewildered, I stared at James. "Do you think that counts?"

James stroked his chin. "I think it may." He nodded knowledgably. "That may indeed be super-breathing-powers at work."

"I wonder where they came from?" I stared off blankly into the distance, contemplating this new discovery.

James shrugged. "Radioactive spiders? Lightning hitting you as a child? Being born during the new moon? Faerie godmothers?"

"As fascinating as this is," Sirius said dryly, "I think we'd better get back to the matter at hand."

"Oh right." I looked down at my hands, which were bruised from punching. "I hope you can forgive me Remus. I did something really cruel, for no other reason than my own guilt. I'm an awful excuse for a human being and I deserve every word I shouted at you to be turned on me ten-fold. And I-"

Arms wrapping around me cut me off. This time, it was not Sirius or James. It was Remus. Cautiously, I buried my head in his clean white shirt. It smelled like pine and lavender. It reminded me of the woods. He spoke very gently. "I completely forgive you. There is nothing to forgive. We all do things we shouldn't sometimes. And, quite honestly, I'm glad you did. You hitting me made me realize I'm not the only one suffering in this situation."

I pulled away slightly, so I could look up into his face. "But why, Remus? I know you like her. Why did you say no?"

He turned his face away, brown eyes looking out the window. "I don't deserve her."

Before I realized it, I gasped indignantly and smacked him lightly on the back of his head.

"Ow!" His hand flew to his head and he looked at me reproachfully, with owl eyes. "What was that for?"

I frowned at him. "I hate when anyone puts themselves down like that. Saying you don't deserve someone… Unless you give me a real reason, like 'She cares for me more than I care for her' or… I can't even think of an 'or'. Anyway, no one is more deserving of someone else. The moment you say 'I don't serve them', that is a sure sign you do, because you truly appreciate their worth. But you _are_ deserving of her, every inch of you. So, give me a _real_ reason."

"Aria, I…" Remus wouldn't look at me. "Rayne is the kindest, sweetest, smartest girl I've ever met. And I'm all messed up. I can't… I won't… put her through that. I've decided not to date, ever. No girl deserves dealing with my issues."

"Remus!" I stomped my foot, angry. "You are the kindest, sweetest, smartest _guy_ I've ever met. You're so polite and considerate. Girls would kill to date you, even if it meant dealing with your 'issues', whatever those are. We _all_ have issues, you see. You shouldn't underestimate the human capacity to cope."

A strangled sound came out of his throat, and he paced away. "You don't understand. You can't understand. I can't _tell_ you, but you have to understand. My issues are a _lot_ worse than you think."

Suddenly, I remembered back in fourth year, when Snape still hung out with Lily. I used to hang out with him too, because of her. I'd never really liked him, but I hadn't hated him either, even though I had issues with the way he tried to control Lily. He even tried to convince Lily that Remus was a…

I bit my lip, and categorized everything I knew about Remus. How once, every month, he would disappear. How he would seem to get sickly up until that point. How he was shy and would never go out with any girls. How he had issues… beyond my imaginings. Could it be… was Snape right?

I looked up at him, his worn, tired face, with that brown hair and brown eyes. So sweet… how could anyone this sweet looking have such an issue?

"Remus," I began delicately. "Forgive me if I offend you, but… I've heard some rumors before, about you. From Snape, actually." Remus's eyes grew wide and he took a step away from me. I mustered up the courage to continue. "I would never, _ever_ ask you this unless all the facts fit in and I thought, maybe _this_ was why you said no. "Remus…" I took a deep breath. "Remus, are you a werewolf?"

The look in his eyes was enough of an answer.

"Oh," I gasped. "Oh."

It was completely silent in the room. Remus stared at me with horrified eyes. He swallowed, and I watched his throat.

"Well, go on," he said in a raspy, resigned voice, "Go ahead and run. I know that you don't want to be here with me. I'm a monster. It's okay to run and pretend not to know me anymore."

.

.

.

.

.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING ON ABOUT?!" I shrieked, and then flung a hand over my mouth. I hadn't meant to say that, and especially not so loud.

Remus was so startled that he stumbled back, tripped and fell on the floor. "Wait…" he said cautiously, "You don't want to run?"

I smacked a hand to my forehead. "Why is it," I muttered, "that you have this tendency to be so utterly INSECURE!" I glared at Remus. I had been put through far too much mental stress tonight and my mood swings didn't make sense even to me. "Listen up, Remus! I am your friend, whether you like it or not! And that may not make sense coming from someone who was trying to beat you up a half an hour ago! But, you know what? It's true! And friends help deal with other friends' issues! And therefore, I am completely, utterly, unequivocally okay with your werewolf-y-ness! So there!" I stamped my foot.

"B-b-b-but!" Remus was so shocked, he was stammering. And suddenly, I knew exactly what to do.

I grabbed his hands, yanked him to his feet, and wrapped my arms around him. I was hugging a frozen statue, but I knew that if I held on, he would defrost.

"I don't understand," he said, his voice bewildered like a child.

I looked up at him, with his sweet, innocent eyes and felt tears come to my own once again. "I'm so sorry, Remus. The things I shouted must have hurt you doubly. I'm sorry that you have to deal with this. No one should, but especially not you. And I'm sorry that I wasn't here years ago. I should have been."

Remus was looking at me like I was a walking miracle, and I looked right back.

"Awww!" James cooed in the back round, which kind of spoiled the moment. I was in a mind to shove him. "Isn't this cute? Group hug everyone!"

"Wait a moment!" But, of course, no one listened. Which meant I was smashed against Remus by James and Sirius who were hugging from behind. I felt like I was the cheese in the middle of the Marauder sandwich.

"Oi!" My shout was muffled against Remus's chest. "Back off!"

"Can't… breath…" Remus rasped. Of course, the instant _he _said something, they backed off.

I continued to hang on Remus, though. "Just because _I_ hug Rem Rem doesn't mean the rest of you get to."

When I looked up at Remus's face, he was blushing. "Uh… Ari… you can let go now…"

I ignored him, addressing the rest of the Marauders. "How did you guys find out about… er…"

James grinned. "I refer to it as Remus's 'furry little problem'."

My eyes widened as once-upon-a-time mysteries suddenly made sense. "So _that's _what you were talking about! I always thought Remus had a rabid rabbit!"

I felt Remus's chest vibrating under my arms. He was laughing. His face looked so sweet as he quietly laughed. I couldn't help but grin.

Sirius was chuckling too. He pushed back his hair with his left hand and I watched, entranced, as dark hair cascaded back around his face. It really was getting a bit long. It made me want so badly to touch it and comb it into place. Around Remus's neck, my hands twitched. Luckily, he didn't get the wrong impression.

"We found out in… third year, was it?" Sirius looked to James for confirmation. "We'd been suspicious for a while, and we ended up putting things together…"

James picked up the thread. "We confronted him about it. He… he was so shocked that he didn't even bother denying it." James grinned at me. "Just like about two minutes ago, he expected us to go running away. But, as you can tell, we stuck around."

Sirius slung an arm over Remus's shoulder. His hand hung just beside my head. "Best thing that ever happened to the guy!"

"Or worse, depending on how you look at it," Remus muttered under his breath. I buried my head in his chest to muffle my laughter.

"Eventually, we decided we didn't want Moony to be alone when he changed… but we couldn't be there are humans."

"So… we decided…"

"To become…"

"ANIMAGUS!" Sirius and James shouted in sync, right in my face. I jumped about fifty feet in the air, then toppled over, bring Rem down with me.

"YOU GUYS ARE ANIMAGUS?" I screeched from my not-so-dignified position on the ground.

James nodded smugly. "It took us 'til fifth year, but we did it."

"Me too!" Pettigrew had been blissfully silent until then. I glared at him and he receded into submission.

I sat up, fascinated. "But… what animals?"

James knelt down beside me and put his lips to my ear. "You have to promise to keep all this quiet," he whispered, "Even from Lily and Kristy and Rayne."

I widened my eyes innocently at him. "But of course! This is _your_ secret, not mine!"

"Alright then!" Sirius rubbed his palms together. "Well, Peter is a rat-"

I suddenly recalled the Marauder's stupid nicknames. "Wormtail!" I gasped.

James clapped his hands. "Good job! You got it in one. We made up our nicknames to match our animals." He beamed at me. I could see how happy he was to no longer have to keep this secret from me. "Guess what I turn into!"

It took a second to remember James's nickname, Prongs. Prongs… Prongs were points. Prongs as in… "Antlers!" I realized out loud. "Are you a moose?"

James looked offended. "No!" He frowned at me. "How'd you come up with that one?"

Bewildered, I looked blankly at him. "Moose have very nice antlers."

His eyebrows furrowed together. "My nickname reminds you of a moose?"

"What else is it supposed to remind me of?"

"I dunno, maybe… A STAG!"

"Why would it remind me of a stag? That is the absolute LAST thing I would thing of after hearing 'Prongs'. Is a stag even an animal anyways?"

"It's a male deer, Ari, a male deer. You know, A STAG."

"Nope. Stag and Prongs just don't go together."

"You wound me. Really."

"Don't tell me you _are _a stag."

"No, I just brought that up to make conversation. Duh, Ari."

"Hey, how am I supposed to know?"

"Logic."

"I don't _use _logic. Illogic is much more my style."

"As is evident."

"Hey. Watch it mister."

"Or what? You gonna tried to sissy punch me too."

"You do _not _want to go there, Mr. Prongs. 'Cause believe me, you do not want to get me started."

"Oh really? 'Cause I think I do."

"Bring it on, wimp, bring it on."

"Sorry, I don't fight girls."

"Well, you do now!"

I was just about to give him a really good Jelly-Legs Jinx when Remus put his hand on my arm. "Aria? Don't you want to know what Sirius is?"

I have to admit, I'm easily distracted. I glanced up briefly at Sirius. "Your nickname is Padfoot, right?"

Sirius gave a swift nod. "You betcha."

Well, there were any number of animals with pads on their feet. I stared at Sirius, analyzing his face, from his large hands and feet to his grinning face. It seemed to me that there could be only one answer. "No…" I said, shaking my head. "No way. After all those jokes I've made… You _can't _be…"

Sirius gave a barking laugh. "Now you see why we all found that just so funny."

"A dog. Seriously?" I deadpanned.

Sirius shrugged his shoulders, grinning from ear to ear. "I do everything _Siriusly_, love."

Four people groaned simultaneously. "Not the Sirius/serious jokes. Please. Spare us."

James turned to me, annoyance evident on his face. "How come you can get 'dog' out of Padfoot, but you can't get 'stag' out of Prongs?"

I sniffed. "There is the slight problem of me not knowing what a 'stag' was."

"How, after seventeen years on this earth, can you not know what a 'stag' is?" James despaired.

"My parents' focus wasn't exactly teaching me animal names. I didn't know what a bloody hippogriff was until I came to Hogwarts."

"What exactly DID your parents teach you?"

"I can talk about the weather in exactly twenty different languages."

"The weather? Why the weather?"

"James, you do not have ANY sophistication. The weather and your health is the basis of ALL polite conversation."

"Thank Merlin my parents hate society."

"Thank Merlin I got out of polite society as soon as I possibly could." Sirius plopped down on his bed.

James jumped onto his own bed. "So… uh… It's getting pretty late."

I knew what this meant. This was James's polite way of saying, 'Ari, I love you and all that, but I really love sleeping as well. It's about twelve at night and I need my rest. Which I can't exactly get with you in here.'

"Yeah. You're right." I nodded, but stayed firmly where I was. Which was my way of saying, 'Look, I totally get what you mean James, but I've been thrown out of my dorm and I don't really fancy sleeping in the Common Room…'

Unfortunately, my message did not get through to James. Fortunately, it did get through to Sirius. "Hey! Wait! You said you got kicked out of your dorm! Where are you going to sleep?"

Well, it partially got through to Sirius.

I shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "I'll find a comfy sofa in the Common Room of something." I frowned, as if I was actually considering this. "I just hope some perverted fifth year won't find me there in the morning. That could be embarrassing."

James and Sirius exchanged a look over my head. Remus, who was still standing beside me, turned his lips down gently. "This is quite the predicament. We don't want you sleeping in the Common Room."

The boys were all frowning and contemplating my situation, but I could tell none of them were coming to the conclusion I wanted them too. I sighed. I would have to do this myself. "Ummm…" I started hesitantly. "Could I sleep in here, tonight?"

I wish I could have photographed the looks on their faces. I swear, they looked like strangled giraffes. Although where I got that comparison from, I really can't say. I've never actually _seen_ a strangled giraffe before… Maybe I read about it somewhere? Such a mystery… But _any how_…

There were as many wrinkles on James's forehead as there are on your ninety year old grandma's bulldogs. "But… what about your reputation? If you stay in here, people might get the wrong idea about you and Sirius!"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, come on. They all think I'm the soul of innocence. Anything I tell them, they'll believe."

"Soul of innocence… they wish…" Sirius muttered under his breath. I turned my absolutely most blinding smile on him.

"Sirius, dear? Did you say something?"

He got the message. This time, complete.

He slid discretely away. "N-no. I didn't say anything. Nothing. In fact, I didn't say anything so much that you must of heard me _not _saying anything."

In corner, I saw Pettigrew mouthing the words to himself, trying to figure it out. At least it would keep him occupied for the next month.

James opened his mouth, as if he was going to object again, but Remus cut him off. "James, Sirius, we can't just kick her out. She has nowhere else to go. And I'm sure she'll be able to leave in the morning without anyone noticing. Aria is good at being sneaky, I'm sure." The look he gave me knowing. I winced slightly. It would appear Remus knew more about my 5th and 6th years than I would like. "We wouldn't be good friends if we didn't help her out in her time of need. Besides, Aria is just like one of us. James didn't even realize she was a girl until about a week ago."

Sirius sighed. "Normally, I wouldn't object. But, Aria, you must realize that if you spend a night in the same room as ME, my beloved fan girls are sure to have something to say about."

I put my hands on my hips. "I honestly don't care. And I can take care of myself."

James put his hands in the air. "I give up. I'm fine with it, if the rest of you guys are."

Sirius shrugged. "I don't mind. I was just concerned about Ari."

Pettigrew gave some creepy little smile thing. "I'd love to have Ari stay." I made a mental note to sleep as far away from him as possible.

Remus smiled, in a non-creepy way. Pettigrew should take notes. Get pro smiling lessons. I wonder if there are such things, smiling lessons. Oh! I bet those people how dress up in costumes at Wizardland get them. I mean, they have to take smiley pictures with annoying, sweaty little kids all day. That smiling must take serious stamina. I bet they have super buff mouths. I wonder what kissing one of them would feel like. Would they be smiling while we kissed? I'm not sure I've ever kissed someone who is smiling before. Is that odd? Does that mean I'm kissing people that aren't happy? Maybe depression turns me on, or something. I mean, even Sirius… Sirius was ANGRY when we kissed. Maybe it's the whole anger thing. I do find that hot. Anger equals passion right? And I like passionate kissing… What was I talking about.

"So!" Remus clapped his hands. "Aria, you can have my bed. I'll sleep on the floor."

"Oh no!" I held out my hands to stop him. "I couldn't! Especially after how mean I've been to you today. I'll just sleep on the floor."

"No, you can have MY bed," James offered gallantly.

I gave him A Look. "Please. If Lily found out I was sleeping in your bed, she'd freak. I don't need her even more jealous than she already is."

James frowned. "What? Lily's jealous?"

I rolled my eyes. "Did you really think we were arguing about Bob earlier in the Common Room?"

Sirius smacked him on the back of the head. "It was pretty obvious, mate."

Understanding dawned on James's face. "Wait… Lily is jealous of you and me."

I nodded. "Yep. She thinks my feelings for you aren't entirely platonic."

James squinted at me. "They are, though, right?"

I tilted my head, studying him. "Well, I believe so. But I can never be entirely sure about platonic feelings without kissing someone. And I've never kissed you. But I am 99.999% sure that I feel nothing but friendship for you. Honestly, I've got better things to do than try to find out."

James looked relieved. "Good. 'Cause, no offense, but I just don't feel that way for you."

I shrugged. "None taken."

"Aria can have MY bed." Now, Sirius offered.

I gave him a revolted look. "Please. No way."

"You aren't going to even come up with an excuse?" Sirius looked hurt.

I gave a deep sigh. "Do you really want one?"

Sirius scratched his head. "You gave excuses to everyone else. I feel excluded."

I laughed shortly. "Alright. One, fan girls would kill me. Two, that could be taken completely the wrong way. Three, I'm actually somewhat interested in you and that would just be weird. Four-"

Sirius cut me off, laughing good-naturedly. "Okay, okay, I got it." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "You're 'somewhat interested' in me?"

"Deflate the ego, Black." I arched an eyebrow at him. "I'm merely attracted to your body. That's all."

"Sure, sure. You keep saying that." He winked at me, roguishly.

Pettigrew gave another creepy smile. "You can have my bed then."

I gave a forced smile back. "Thanks, but I think it would be better if I slept on the floor. Less potential for rumors."

"That makes sense," Remus agreed, unwillingly. "I just feel bad about making you sleep on the floor."

I patted his arm. "Don't. Just get me a few blankets and a pillow and I'll be fine."

Sirius ran his eyes over my body. I was just about to make some comment about 'hands AND eyes off' but then he said, "What are you going to sleep in Ari? You're still in your uniform."

I glanced down. It was true. I was still in my tight white, button down shirt and my equally tight, short, plaid skirt. It was not really the most comfy thing to sleep in. I pursed my lips. "Could I borrow PJs from one of you guys?"

The four exchanged looks. James wrinkled his forehead. "Wormtail is too short, but all the rest of us are way too tall." He smiled sweetly at me. "You are ridiculously tiny, Rs."

I glared. "If you think the cute smile made me forget about the jab to my height, you were wrong. And I don't care if they're oversized. Anything is better than THIS." I gestured to my uniform.

Sirius grinned mischievously. "I'll lend you my PJs. In fact, if you like them, you can keep 'em."

I stuck my finger in my mouth and made a gagging sound. "Please. Any PJs but his."

James grinned and shook his head. "No. I think I kind of _want_ to see you in Padfoot's PJs. It's sure to be a funny sight." I glared at him once again. Between this and the short joke, I was going to kill him.

Remus grimaced at me. "Sorry Ari. He'd kill me if I even tried."

I groaned and put my head in my hands. "Fine. Fine. Fine. Just give me the damn PJs, Black."

Sirius grinned widely at me and tossed some clothing over. I grabbed them just before they landed on my head. It was a _lot _of cloth. Straightening it out, I realized it was just a plain white t-shirt and long, plaid PJ pants. But they were _huge._ I gave a groan of despair.

"Alright. Where's your damn bathroom?" I asked wearily. Four fingers pointed towards a door directly to my left that I somehow didn't notice before. Stuffing the PJs under my arm, I stomped into the bathroom.

I quickly stripped off my button up and skirt. Underneath my shirt, I was wearing a cami, which I opted to leave on. I tugged on Sirius's pants first. The waist was so huge that it didn't stay on until I rolled the waistband about ten times. Then, I rolled up the bottom of the pants because they were still, incredibly, too long. I pulled on the shirt afterwards. It came down to my knees. It was completely absurd. I used the scrunchie around my wrist to pull my hair up into a high, sloppy bun. I glanced in the mirror. I looked ridiculous.

Shyly, I opened the door. "Don't laugh, okay?" I called out to the Marauders, pleadingly.

James snickered. "No guarantees, Ari. Just come out."

I ducked my head and shuffled out, trying not to trip over the long pants. It was dead silent for a few seconds and then raucous laughter erupted.

I turned bright red. "Shut up! Sirius, you are fuckin' huge, okay!"

He laughed even harder and winked at me. "I know, love." I got the innuendo a little bit too late and proceeded to turn the color of a tomato.

"That is disgusting!" All four boys were practically rolling on the ground.

Sirius wiped tears out of his eyes. "Oh… sorry, love. That was too good to pass up." He smiled genuinely at me. "You do look amazingly sexy in my PJs, though."

I couldn't come up with a retort, so I did the mature thing. I stuck out my tongue at him.

After recovering from their giggling fit, James and Remus pointed out a nest of blankets and pillows they had made on floor. Remus smiled slightly, apologetic. "We tried to make it as comfy as possible. Sorry we don't have an extra bed."

I jumped onto my nest. "No problem. This feels great." I snuggled in, pulling the top blanket over me. My little haven was nestled between James and Sirius's beds. I looked up at all of them. "Thank you." My voice was soft as the pillow I was laying on. "I really am incredibly grateful. To all of you."

James reached down from his bed to pat my head. "No problem." He yawned. "Ready to turn out the lights, guys?" A chorus of yeses answered him. He nonchalantly waved his wand and the lights went out. " 'Night Ari!"

"Night James. Night Rem Rem. Night Pettigrew. Night sexist pig."

"Love you too, Aria."

"Don't make me puke."

"Quit it, you love birds. I wanna sleep."

Yawn. "Yeah, yeah. Night, all."

Within minutes, I was asleep.

* * *

"OH MY GOD! WHERE IS ARIA?!"

I sat bolt upright, shaken from my sleep by a shrill voice screaming my name. I looked around frantically, trying to orient myself. I was… on the floor. I looked up at the bed beside me and saw Sirius sitting up and yawning. Oh yeah. I was in the Marauder's bedroom. On the floor. In Sirius's PJs.

…

Damn.

"OH NO! WHAT IF SHE'S RUN BACK TO THE SLYTHERIN DORMS AND BECOME ALL HAPPY-SMILEY AGAIN! IT WOULD ALL BE MY FAULT! NOOOOO!" I finally placed the voice. It was Rayne. Freaking out. About me. Because… they had no idea where I was. Because I was in the Marauder's bedroom. On the floor. In Sirius's PJs.

…

Damn.

"Shit!" I jumped out of my floor nest. "I've got to get down there and tell them where I am!"

James groaned, still lying on his bed, arm over his eyes. His hair was horribly mussed. "So loud…"

"ARIA!" Now Lily was calling me. That got James out of bed.

"Fuck!" Sirius swore. "I was hoping we could get you out of here without them noticing."

"Obviously, we can't," Remus muttered grumpily, running a hand through his hair.

I waved my arms frantically. "Where's my uniform?"

"WHY?" James shouted, also waving his arms.

I waved my arms harder. "I can't go down there in _this_."

"Oh. Right."

Thus ensued the massive search for my uniform. Which had mysteriously disappeared. I thought I had left it in the bathroom, but we turned the bathroom upside down and couldn't find anything. I grew more and more stressed as the freaking out downstairs got louder.

We all went stiff when a new voice added to the cacophony. "Miss Evans, Miss Hale, what is this?" McGonagall asked moodily.

Lily anxiously explained. "Rayne, Ari and I had this huge fight last night and we locked her out of the dorm. Now she's gone and we can't find her and we're scared."

McGonagall sighed. Loudly. "Have you thought of checking the boys' dorms?"

There was beat of silence. "No."

McGonagall sighed even louder then raised her voice. "Miss Colette, if you are up there, please come down."

I shot an alarmed look at the Marauders. "Coming Professor!" I called down the stairs. I heard relieved sounds from downstairs. At the last moment, I spotted my uniform. It had been kicked under Sirius's bed. I snatched it and ran down the boy's dormitory stairs, sliding past many astonished guys. Breathless, I ran into the Common Room.

"Yes Professor?" I panted. There were gasps of shock and surprise from the other Gryffs gathered in the Common Room, directed at my appearance, I was sure.

McGonagall simply raised her eyebrows. "Miss Colette, would you like to explain why you spent the night in the boy's dormitory."

I gave her the widest smile I could. "I'm afraid that Lily, Rayne and I had a little tiff and they felt it necessary to lock me out of my dorm. At the point I stopped waiting at the door, hoping they would open it, no one else in the girl's dormitories was awake."

McGonagall clicked her tongue. "And why did you know the Marauders were awake?" I winced. She obviously suspected something was up. And she looked grumpy.

"I didn't, ma'am. Until I barged in on them." It was hard to keep smiling. I was worried.

"Oh? And why did you barge in on them?" McGonagall's tone was frosty as the snowman.

I gave her a rueful half smile. "It's a rather long story, Professor."

She sighed, patting her ever-perfect bun. "Miss Colette, whatever are you wearing?"

I blushed slightly. "Sirius's pajamas, Professor. I didn't have any of my own." There were even more noises of shock from around me. I cringed slightly at the attention.

McGonagall frowned sternly. "I do hope no… inappropriate activities occurred last night."

My eyes went as wide as saucers. "Oh, no ma'am!"

Lily came to my defense. "Professor, how could you even think that? Aria isn't the type!"

McGonagall gave her a disbelieving look. "Miss Evans. Out of all the students in your year, if I found out Aria had stayed in a boy's room and exited wearing boys bed clothes, I would suspect her more than any of the others of engaging in such inappropriate activities."

Rayne gasped indignantly. "Professor!" I didn't bother commenting. From the look in her eyes, McGonagall knew about my not-so-squeaky-clean past as well.

McGonagall rubbed her forehead. "Detention, Miss Colette."

Now, I spoke, upset. "For what exactly?"

"A girl sleeping in a boy's dormitory is strictly forbidden. And vice versa." McGonagall told me primly.

"Professor," I complained. "You must be aware that that sort of thing happens all the time."

McGonagall smiled wryly. "That may be so, Miss Colette, but most of your peers are wise enough not to get caught."

"I _wouldn't _have gotten caught if my friends over here hadn't freaked out." I told her stubbornly, crossing my arms.

I swear, it seemed like McGonagall was about to _snicker_. "Does that make you any less guilty, Miss Colette?"

I sighed, giving in. "I suppose not. And please don't call me by my surname. It bugs the crap out of me."

McGonagall didn't not dignify my request with a response. "You will have detention every Friday night at seven for the next three weeks. Also, please come to my office at lunch today. I have something I would like to discuss with you."

"Yes, Professor," I muttered sarcastically, giving a mocking bow.

"Watch your attitude, Miss Colette," McGonagall instructed before sweeping out of the Gryffindor tower. I glared at her retreating back, hands fisting in my uniform.

"Aria," Lily started, but I cut her off.

"Later Lils. I need to go get changed and ready." I gave her a smile to let her know it was all okay. "I'll talk to you at breakfast, okay? Head down without me."

Reluctantly, Lily nodded. I rushed up the stairs to the girls' dorms, ignoring the hushed whispers behind me. I had definitely made a statement.

I flung on my clothing quickly and tied my hair up in a high ponytail. I didn't normally wear my hair up, but I didn't have enough time to properly style it. After shoving gold flats on my feet, I hurried down to the Great Hall. Just before I left, I slid Sirius's pajamas into my book bag. _I'll give it to him later._

I actually made it to the Great Hall with about twenty minutes left for breakfast. I immediately spotted my group; Lily, Rayne and Kristy sitting separately from the Marauders, but close enough that Lily and James could talk. I headed quickly over, eager to make up, but Amelia and Maxie, who looked completely ticked off, blocked my path.

"Ahem." Maxie cleared her throat. "You have a lot to answer for, Aria."

"Yeah!" Amelia agreed. "Sleeping in the same room as Sirius and wearing his _PJs_ is completely unacceptable!"

"The Sirius Fan Club will not allow such an infraction!" Maxie declared. Girls all over the Great Hall nodded in agreement. My eyes darted frantically as I tried to think of a way out. Then, a brilliant idea struck me.

"Hey! Sirius!" I waved and grinned, standing on my tiptoes so he could see me over Maxie and Amelia. "You said I could keep the PJs if I wanted, right?" Girls around me gasped.

Sirius looked astonished, and then grinned seductively. "Yeah. I knew you'd want to keep them."

"Good." I smiled as sweetly as I could at him, feeling a little bad for what I was about to do. I turned to Amelia and Maxie who were completely enraged at this point. "Guys, I would like to make a donation to the Sirius Fan Club."

Amelia gaped. Maxie looked dumbfounded. "You would?"

I nodded, trying to look innocent and meek. "Yeah. To, you know, make up for my 'infractions'."

"Oh." These girls were really quite dumb. I could see Sirius's eyes narrowing as he guessed where this was going. I threw a cheeky grin at him as I pulled his pajamas out of my bag and thrust them into Maxie's hands.

"Here," I said, trying hard not to laugh. "An official pair of Sirius's PJs. All for the club."

"OH MY GOD!" Maxie started hyperventilating as she buried her head in Sirius's PJs and breathed in deeply. Fan girls shrieked and started running to feel the PJs. In the midst of the chaos, I slipped through them to jog over to my friends.

Sirius looked dismayed. "OI!" he called, running over to grab his pajamas. "Hands off! I disallow such a donation!" Disappointed sighs came from about half the girls in the room. Looking vaguely freaked out, Sirius carried his PJs back to his seat. Once there, he shoved them at me. "They're yours."

I pushed them back. "I don't want them."

He forced them back into my hands. "Neither do I," he said stubbornly.

I decided it was time to use my wits. "Sirius, you don't want a pair of PJs that I spent all night sleeping in?" I watched as the gears clicked in his brain and he understood exactly what I was saying. I couldn't help giggling as he stole them back, carefully stuffing them in his book bag.

"Cuuute," Kristy commented sarcastically. "Now he's going to spend every night curling up with your sweaty pajamas, Ari. Are you sure you want that."

I snorted, helping myself to some eggs. "It's better than keeping those things myself."

Rayne, who was sitting beside me, placed a tentative hand on my arm. "Aria?" She said timidly.

I looked at her, waiting. I wasn't about to apologize unless she seemed ready to make up. She looked down as she spoke. "I shouldn't have gotten mad at you. It wasn't your fault. I was just really upset… and I needed to blame it on someone. I'm… really sorry."

I couldn't help it; I threw my arms around her. "Me too, Rayne. I'm sorry that it didn't work out. I honestly thought it would. Swear on Merlin. I wanted you to be happy."

Rayne sniffed, wiping her eyes. "Thanks Ari. And… on the way here, James told me what you did for me. I was really… that was really… thank you."

I felt myself tearing up, and I squeezed her tighter. "It was an awful thing to do, but…" I smiled at her. "Thank you for forgiving me."

She laughed stuffily. "There was nothing to forgive."

I grinned. Everything was perfect.

And it was the day of the Halloween dance.

* * *

**I hope you liked it! Even if the beginning WAS weird. Tell me what you think. Review, review, REVIEW!**

**I'll have the next chap up as soon as possible!**

**Love you all!**


	26. Me and McGonagall's Flat

**Hey guys!**

**Luckily, I wrote this last weekend, so I had it all prepared for you. No long wait! After next chapter, the whole Halloween ball arc thing will be over… So hopefully I can get that done quick!**

**Thanks so much for all your reviews! I can't tell you how good it felt to hear from you guys again! *laughes***

**I hope you enjoy this chap. It mostly just sets up stuff. But its good stuff, so… There is more McGonagall-Aria interaction, which I love. I do love good ol' Minny!**

**Read and Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I have been entirely unsuccessful in my attempts to create Polyjuice Potion. Therefore, I am not JK, sadly.**

* * *

At lunch, I trudged reluctantly up to McGonagall's office. I sure didn't want to spend my lunch there, especially because I still hadn't quite made up with Lily. We were speaking, but it was… awkward. I wanted to sit down and have a good chat with her. And I wanted to talk to Rayne about the whole 'test Sirius' thing. I was becoming more and more unwilling to go through with it. In my heart of hearts, I was sure of Sirius's affection. Was it okay for me to test him like I was planning to? Shouldn't I just… trust him? We _were _friends at this point, much as it weirded me out. Friends trust each other.

I knocked three times in a row on McGonagall's door. I expected her to call out enter, but instead the door was swept open and she stood in front of me. "Miss Colette," she stated, staring down at me through her glasses. "Do come in."

Nervously, I entered past her, taking the seat in front of her desk warily. I had no idea what she wanted. McGonagall and I had some… history between us. A lot of my more… out-there stunts I had pulled in her class. I hate Transfiguration. Really. And I always feel this impulse to comment on McGonagall's sex life. I wonder why…

McGonagall seated herself across from me. "Miss Colette."

"Aria," I corrected automatically.

Her lips twitched, whether with amusement or anger, I couldn't tell. "Miss Colette. I presume you know that you are a much talked about person here at Hogwarts."

I clasped my hands in my lap. "No more so than any other student, I think."

McGonagall arched an eyebrow. "You know as well as I do that that is wrong."

I inclined my head slightly. "You flatter me. Really."

Sighing, McGonagall allowed her rigid posture to relax slightly. "I am going to be frank Miss… Aria."

Caught by her use of my first name, I immediately became interested. "Feel free. I am always frank with you, Professor."

"Sometimes unpleasantly so," she agreed dryly. She shuffled papers on her desk as she spoke. "Students have the tendency to believe that their lives are kept entirely secret from their teachers. They think we don't hear the gossip. Actually, the opposite is true. We teachers are some of the most up to date people when it comes to student affairs. You, especially, I have heard much about." She smiled tightly. "Almost all of which was good, surprisingly. However, that is not what I am here to talk with you about, exactly."

There was silence for a few minutes. I fidgeted in my chair. "Professor? What are we here to talk about?"

McGonagall looked directly at me, as if she was evaluating me. "This may be… distressing for you to here. The Headmaster wanted to speak to you about this directly, but I felt it might be easier to here this from me. Professor Dumbledore would like to speak to next week sometime, as soon as you feel ready, but he has given me permission to… break the news."

"Which is?" I leaned forward anxiously. "Please, Professor, just tell me!" Thoughts were swirling in my head. The drama queen side of me was taking over. There were already a thousand 'perhaps' running around in my brain.

McGonagall set her palms flat on her desk. "You have heard of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his Death Eaters of course."

I nodded. "Yes. Everyone has."

"Have you heard of the Order of the Phoenix?"

The name struck a bell in my name. "I think so… but I can't quite remember." I looked at McGonagall, desperate. "Why?"

McGonagall sighed. "Settle down, Aria. I'm going to tell you." She paused, then resumed. "The Order of the Phoenix is a group of people outside of the Ministry who are trying to bring You-Know-Who down. Professor Dumbledore is the head of the Order." She fixed me in her gaze again. "This _is_ confidential, you know."

"Yes."

"Well, recently we received news. We try to spy on the Death Eaters, as I'm sure you've guessed. We try to keep track of who is and isn't one. We have suspected your Uncle Malfoy for a good time now, but have never received any positive information. However, a good week ago, we did find a new Death Eater. She killed Blake Fawcett. Perhaps you heard about it?"

"I hadn't heard about that death in particular. How did you find out who killed Fawcett?"

"Fawcett was friends with one of our newest members. Our member noticed him acting oddly, tormented actually. He decided, on a whim, to go visit Fawcett that very night and walked in on the deed. Fawcett was already dead, but he dueled the Death Eater who had done the deed and blasted off her mask." McGonagall stopped again, staring at me. "Are you sure you are prepared?"

Dread coiled in my stomach. Somehow, I already knew what had happened. "It was my mother, wasn't it?" I whispered.

A strange expression twisted McGonagall's face. It took me a moment to place it, in my disoriented and shocked state. Pity. "Yes, Aria. It was."

I dropped my head into my hands and focused on taking deep breaths in and out. I only felt a vague sense of surprise. It seemed inevitable to me. My mother had always been somewhat of a fan of his ideas. No wonder she had chosen to join him. I slipped a hand back to the scar running along my spine. It wasn't as if she had any issue with violence.

"Are you alright, Aria?" McGonagall's voice was softer than I'd ever heard it. It was almost… fond.

I tried to smile at her, through the tears welling in my eyes. "It is nothing unexpected, Professor. I just… didn't expect it _now._"

"You have my… condolences." It was almost sweet, the way McGonagall seemed so awkward, yet loving. I wanted to hurl myself into her arms and cry my eyes out. The feeling stunned me. I hadn't realized that I felt for McGonagall almost as I would for an aunt.

"Thank you, Professor." I sniffed, holding back my tears.

"Now, I understand that this may not be the best time to talk about this, but we can't have you returning home to a Death Eater house." McGonagall was trying to break gently what I hadn't yet even thought about.

"Oh," I whimpered, shocked. "I suppose so." I thought of my room back home, with all my childhood keep sakes and belongings. "So I can't go back home?"

"Not until we have your mother safely behind bars."

I gave her a sharp look. "Does the Ministry know about this?"

McGonagall nodded. "Yes. They raided your house yesterday, to find her and any Dark objects. Unfortunately, she got word of the raid and fled. Only your father was home. Regrettably, we do not yet know whether your father is also innocent. We can't risk the chance of you going back and being abducted by the Death Eaters."

"I see." I suddenly ached for my father, although he had never been there for me. Even being with him in absentmindedness would be better than never seeing him again. I looked up at McGonagall. "So what am I to do, Professor?"

Carefully, she put her hand over mine on the desk. "The Order is more than willing to take care of you, before and after you graduate. For holidays this year, you may stay at Hogwarts, of course."

I made a face. "All my friends are leaving."

"I understand that." McGonagall seemed to be approaching whatever she wanted to say cautiously. "I told Dumbledore that and offered… I offered to let you stay at my London flat, where I will be spending the holidays. You could see your friends, as long as they are not from suspicious families and I know where you are going. And, you would not be cooped up in the castle."

I gaped at her. I honestly didn't know what else to do. Me, spend the holidays with McGonagall? That was an insane idea that could only end in the death of one of us. Nervously, I tried to voice my objections. "Are you sure you are okay with that, Professor? I mean, I have never been the, ummmm… politest student."

McGonagall made a sound that was almost a snort. "You mean that you have never been particularly kind to me, nor have I been so to you." Blushing, I nodded. She smiled slightly and continued. "Believe me, I was well aware of that when I offered. Although you have been somewhat of a pain to have as a student" -I winced at this- "I do actually like you, for some odd reason. You have… spunk."

I wanted to laugh, hearing the word 'spunk' come out of McGonagall's mouth, but I was too astonished. McGonagall continued. "The offer also extends after you graduate over the summer until you can get yourself a flat of your own. The Order will always aid you, if you desire that."

I blinked, absorbing all of this. In a measured voice, I spoke. "I can't tell you how… touched I am by all of this. But, at the moment, I'm a little overwhelmed. Do you mind if I take a little while to think things over?"

McGonagall briskly tapped her pencil against the desk. "Not at all. It is to be expected." She rose from her chair. I took her lead and stood too. "Would you be willing to meet with Professor Dumbledore and myself Tuesday evening of this coming week."

I nodded my assent. "That sounds good." I turned and headed for the door. Just before exiting, I paused and looked over my shoulder. McGonagall had reseated herself and was working on a pile of papers. She seemed more human to me now. I'd always thought she was cold, but I could finally see the fire within that drove her. Her Gryffindor side. I smiled a little. Perhaps staying with her wouldn't be half bad. "Professor?" She looked up. "Thank you. Really." I meant it.

She gave a small bob of the head in acknowledgment. "You are welcome, Miss Colette." She put her head back down and I walked out, closing the door on her and her papers.

* * *

The lunch bell rang as I was walking back to the Great Hall. My stomach growled in protest, but I refused to acknowledge it, moving in a daze to my next class. The rest of the day continued in much the same way. It was as if there was a thick pane of glass between me and the rest of the world. I could see it, but it wasn't quite real.

My friends left me alone for the most part, sensing I needed space. After classes, I went up to my dorm and lay there.

What was I to do? My life back home had finally come tumbling down around my ears. There was nothing left of my life as a pseudo-Slytherin, only shambles. Cut off from my family, all I had left to connect me was Cissy, who I barely saw. I was now officially free, but it didn't feel like it. I just felt more chained than ever before.

When it came to finally coming out and saying to my mother, "I don't want to live like you," I had always pictured me being the one doing the leaving. Now, it had turned out the other way around. I was abandoned, forgotten, tossed aside like an old doll. Now what?

I knew the Order's plan wouldn't work forever. At some point, some family member would intervene. Probably my uncle, who they couldn't prove guilty of Death Eater activity. He'd probably object to me going to McGonagall, stating himself as close, and innocent, family.

I wasn't sure it would even come to that. I could be abducted on Platform 9 and ¾. It would be a simple, easy thing to do. Grab me and Disapparate. I'd be gone in a wink.

How long did I have left living freely? How much time did I have left to do whatever I pleased?

_Not long, _my heart told me, _not long at all._

Finally, I came to a resolution.

If I didn't have long to live free, I was going to live now. Because it was now or not at all.

* * *

"Can you believe it? In only half an hour, it's going to be the Halloween dance!" Kristy chirped, bouncing in front of the mirror. We were all in the bathroom, prepping. I was far from done, but giddy with excitement.

Rayne giggled. "Remus pulled me aside today."

"Really!" Lily was the farthest away from me. There was still a tense air between us. I resolved to fix it tonight, when the best opportunity appeared.

Rayne bounced in her brilliant, red heels. "Yup! He said he really liked me, romantically and stuff, but he just didn't want to have a relationship or anything. He says there's stuff about him I don't know and he wants to tell me before we think about going out."

I grinned to myself. Remus was going to tell her. Perfect. Maybe I'd been just a little helpful in orchestrating a happy ending for my friend.

Rayne swept some red lip-gloss on and grinned. "Okay. I'm done. What'd you think?"

Rayne was wearing a cream, strap dress with a sweetheart neckline that came to the knees. Just underneath her chest, a thick black swath of fabric emphasized her tiny waist. With the red heels and lipstick, she looked like a sweet sundae.

"Gorgeous," I told her. "I especially love the hair." Rayne had let her hair completely down, letting it flow all around her in waves. It gave the sweetness an edge.

Kristy let out a whistle. "Remus is gonna wanna change his mind."

Kristy herself was wearing a strapless red number that clung to her lanky frame. Instead of making her look bony, it emphasized her curves where she had them. She had opted for black pumps and very natural make-up. Her hair was curled as well, and held back from her face with a black headband.

I grinned at her. "Good thing you didn't wear make-up. 'Cause it'd get all over Rick's face. He's not going to want to let his hands _or _mouth off you in that."

Kristy gave a huge smile and twirled. "Y'think?"

I rocked forward onto my tiptoes and nodded. "Of course."

"Don't I get an evaluation?" Lily teased, stepping forward. She was in the green dress she had found in Diagon Alley, all satin and emerald. It wrapped over one shoulder and around her body down to mid-thigh. She wore high gold heels, to deemphasize the Slytherin color of the fabric. Her hair was up in an elaborate bun, and two curls hung to frame her face. She had done a smoky eye that made her face look sleek and mature.

Kristy mimicked a dog panting. "I am currently James."

Rayne laughed. "Count on a make-out session girl. 'Cause its sooo going to happen."

Lily's eyes flicked, somewhat nervously, to me. I didn't bother speaking. I just gave her a simple thumbs up.

Rayne turned to me. "Of course, none of us can compare to you, Aria. You always steal the show."

I rolled my eyes. "As if. I'm just going to fade into the back round next to the three of you."

I had played it simple, for me. I wore a gauzy silver dress, strapless, that belted just under my bust, then fell straight to my mid-thigh. I wore strappy silver heels with it and pulled my hair up into a cascade of curls. I themed my make-up on shimmer, wanting to look as ethereal and fae like as I could. I felt like a little faerie, every time I moved.

Kristy grabbed her mask from the counter. "I don't think we'll really be needed these."

Lily inspected hers as well. "Yeah. I don't really want to put mine on."

I shrugged. "No one said you _had _to wear a mask."

"Might as well wear them, though," Rayne sighed, pulling hers on. Hers was a smooth black mask of a raven, to show house spirit.

I loved my mask. It was simple and silver, but the eyes were narrowed like a cats'. I pulled mine on easily and glanced in the mirror. Pretty. Pretty good.

"Ready to go?" Kristy asked, pulling on her mask reluctantly. Her mask was fashioned to look like a phoenix, a coincidence that I had found vaguely funny.

Lily tugged on her mask, a simple gold that showed off her smoky eyes. "Yeah. Let's."

Hand in hand, we descended the stairs.

* * *

**Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Please review lots! It really inspires me!**

**Heart you all!**


	27. Curiosity Killed the Cat

**Hey guys! **

**This chapter wasn't supposed to come out until two or three weeks from now, with the school year wrapping up and me being EXTREMELY busy. But, my little plot bunnies were bugging me, so I had to sit down and write. So, you luck ducks get this chap early. YAY!**

**Now, this chap may be a little rushed because I do have MOUNTAINS of homework to do, so please forgive me.**

**Read and enjoy!**

**Warning: If I wrote Harry Potter, Aria would have bounced in and taken over the show.**

………………………………………………………………………………………………

I heard several quick intakes of breath as the four of us enter the Common Room. To myself, I laughed a little. After all, why do guys always look so _shocked _when girls gussy up? I mean, they must know we are pretty. They tell us a million times a day. But they still manage to look _surprised _when we really doll up. I wonder if there is a disconnect between knowing a girl is pretty and _knowing _she's pretty. Know what I mean?

_Anyhow, _our lovely male sidekicks were waiting for us, lounging on the big sofa in front of the fireplace that was _the spot_ for us Seventh Years. As they heard the shocked noises from our entrance, they turned and I was able to get a good look at them for the first time.

They had all gone somewhat classic. None of their outfits were overtly costume-y. James was the most out there, with a simple white button down and tan slacks. His sleeves were rolled up to the elbow and the first three buttons of his shirt undone. His mask was slightly devious and his hair wildly ruffled. He was, not so obviously, a pirate. I snickered as his jaw dropped upon seeing Lily.

He walked up to her in a daze, and put his hands lightly on her waist. "You… are gorgeous. Stunning. Flawless. Mesmerizing. Radiant. Awe-inspiring. Ama-"

Lily cut him off by wrapping her arms around his neck to give him a quick kiss. "Thank you." She lowered her voice and put her lips to his ear. I was sure I was the only one to hear her whisper, "You look fantastic as well. What'd you say to skipping out of this dance early?"

James got her meaning immediately and flashed her a grin that promised goodness. "I wouldn't mind," he murmured.

Pause for a moment. Let me just say _I _had to hear all of this and was turning red, ruining my whole faery image, thank you very much. 'Cause it was one of those situations that, as a friend, you don't really want to witness. You want to _hear _about it later and giggle over it, but you don't want to _see_ it. It's just like kissing. If your friend kisses someone, you'd want to know, right? But if you _saw_ them, you'd be grossed out. Does that make any sense? Constantly confuses me really. Then again, confusing me isn't really that hard. Stick me into the Muggle world for two seconds and I don't know right and left. I will _never _get them. Do they really _need _to have those-watcha-ma-calla-em… computers? Why not just stick with the _library_? Mystifying, truly…

Back to the present and press play please. Yes, that would be the green triangle. Honestly, aren't _you_ the Muggle here?

Remus looked a little bit sulky about his costume. I knew that the Marauders had made group decisions on the costumes. His had evidently been something of a joke. After all, there was simply no other reason why he would choose to go as a _wolf_, of all things. He wore a trim grey suit with a wolf mask. He was staring noticeably at Rayne. She ducked her head, while giving him a sweet smile.

I nudged her and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Go over to him. Trust me."

She shot me a look that was a cross between amused and grateful. "Alright. But I better not get spurned this time around." Before I could comment on her NEWT worthy word choice, she had glided over to Remus's side. He shot me a relieved look.

Kristy was gone before I even had a chance to assess Rick. They were snogging so intently that I didn't really want to look at them.

Pettigrew… please, do you think I willingly looked at his mug?

I found myself quite alone, as the three couples did their own little greeting things on the side. Sighing, I gave into what was unavoidable. "Hey Sirius."

Sirius grinned under his plain black mask. He was wearing a perfect black suit, classic and gorgeous. I just wanted to run my hands all over the cloth. His hair fell loose and naturally around his face. I didn't know what his costume was until he grinned and opened his mouth. His canine teeth were slightly elongated. I raised my eyebrows.

"Vampire? Really? That is so overdone. I pictured you as a little bit more… original." I teased him mildly, grinning back.

He slung his arm around my bare shoulders. "It wasn't my idea. James demanded it."

I stared pointedly at his arm. "And why exactly did James demand it?"

Sirius shrugged, ignoring my staring. His eyes twinkled down at me. "I don't know. Maybe he thought you'd find it sexy."

I shuddered and shook his arm off me. "Please. The opposite, actually. What girl wants to kiss a guy with that much tooth?"

My insult rolled right off him. "You know you secretly love it."

I rolled my eyes. "You're impossible."

He brightened. "You noticed?" He ruffled his hair. "My mum used to say that too."

I winced. He didn't seem upset, but his parents weren't exactly the best topic. I changed the subject. "I don't think we're ever going to get out of here." I looked at saw the three couples of my friends all kissing. Wait… all three?

Sirius let out a low whistle, evidently noticing the same thing I had. Remus and Rayne were snogging their little hearts out just to the side of us. "Rem Rem is finally getting some action," he announced in a not-so-quiet voice. I immediately elbowed him. Hard. He barely flinched.

"Shit…" I muttered. "None of them are ever going to get detached any time soon."

Sirius snorted. "We can't have that, can we?" He clapped his hands. Loudly. Everyone in the Common Room looked. I could almost hear the sound of lips being detached. Sirius grinned widely. I saw a few girls swoon. "Alright, folks, break it up and let's head down to the bloody dance, shall we?"

Lily blushed deeply and nervously patted her hair. "Sorry. Yeah. Let's go." I couldn't blame her for seeming flustered. That was probably the most action she'd gotten since James groped her in the pub.

Sirius offered me his arm. I stared at it like it was an eggplant. He smirked at me. "You're supposed to take it, love."

I stuck out my tongue at him. "I know _that._ But in case you've forgotten, I'm not your date."

He grabbed my arm and tucked it into his. "Well, you can either walk in with one of our lovely coupled friends, me or Pettigrew."

I spared Pettigrew a glance. "Fine," I huffed, settling in beside him. "But don't get used to it."

I could sense him smirking above me. "I wouldn't dream of it, love."

We exited the Common Room collectively. It was chilly in the corridor and I resisted the urge to snuggle against Sirius for warmth.

The hallways and corridors of the castle were strung with cobwebs and spooky lights. Live bats fluttered above our heads. It slowly warmed as we neared the Great Hall, the center of the festivities.

The Great Hall was positively eerie. The lights were low and the room was darkly shadowed. The ghosts had made an effort to look their ghastliest. The Bloody Barron was at the center of things, silver blood glowing ominously.

Where the teacher's table normally sat, was a large stage. A band of skeletons played fast-paced dance music. No one was dancing yet though. The dance had yet to officially start.

Sirius was grinning madly beside me. "This is going to be an absurd amount of fun."

"Absurd would be the right adjective," I muttered as Sirius pulled me over toward the Gryffindor side of the ballroom. I caught the fan club glaring and carefully detached my arm from his. He pouted at me slightly before his face stretched back into its usual grin.

"Oh my goodness!" Lily was gazing around in awe. "The professors have really outdone themselves."

Kristy nodded, patting her hair. "This place looks wicked awesome."

"Bloody hell," James added sagely.

Dumbledore mounted the stage, dressed in his usual starry robes. "Welcome students to Hogwarts first annual Halloween Ball!"

We cheered and clapped our hands. Sirius and James let out wolf howls, much to Remus's annoyance.

Dumbledore continued. "We expect all of you to maintain proper decorum while dancing. Please to not engage in any overly sexual activities with your dance partners. Other than that, please come to the floor with your partners for the first dance!"

Remus, Rayne, Kristy and Rick walked briskly onto the floor, taking up dance spots close to each. I looked expectantly at James and Lily; surely they wouldn't be far behind.

James extended his hand to Lily. "Shall we?"

Lily was chewing lightly on her lower lip as she looked at the dance floor. "Actually James… there is someone else that I really need to dance with first tonight. I need to make amends."

I swear, my mouth fell to the floor. Mine wasn't the only one either. Everyone within a twenty-foot radius was staring.

Before I could register anything, Lily was standing in front of me, holding out her hand. "Will you dance the first dance with me, Ari?"

I blinked. Twice. And then I caught on and grinned widely. "Of course I will, Lils." I took her hand and we skipped onto the dance floor, ending up dead center.

Lily went to put her left hand on my shoulder. I shook my head. "No way am I leading."

She frowned. "I don't know how to lead."

"And you think I do?"

"Aria. You've taken pro dance lessons probably."

"And failed at them. Beware of my feet."

"Still! You know better than me."

"Excuse me? Who taught Kristy how to dance by being the boy?"

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"So."

"Well."

"Um…"

"…"

"Err…"

"Why are we dancing together in the first place?" I asked, frustrated. The band took up a slow song and I placed my left hand on Lily's shoulder as we moved. One-two-three, one-two-three.

Lily blushed at the stares we were getting. "I wanted to apologize."

I arched an eyebrow, saying nothing. Truthfully, I needed to apologize too, but… She had to do this at her own pace.

She ducked her head and we almost tripped. "Look, Ari, I know I was a bitch about James. I know you guys aren't romantic at all. But still… when you are doing all that hugging and cuddling and neck nuzzling-"

My eyes opened wide. "Whoa. Stop right there. Who said anything about 'neck nuzzling'?"

Lily avoided my eyes. "Whenever you guys hug, he buries his head in your neck. You don't notice."

I thought about it. "I honestly don't think he does that."

Lily rolled her eyes. "He totally does. Believe me. And he _never_ does that to me."

I furrowed my brow. "Maybe my neck smells good?"

She just gave me one of those 'are you really that stupid' looks. I got the message.

I sighed, trying to manage dancing and speaking at once. "Look, Lils, James has only got eyes for you. And I honestly do not have the energy to deal with being romantic with anyone right now-"

"Except Sirius."

I nearly smacked her. "You know that Sirius and I aren't like that."

"Currently." Lily's eyes were dancing. She was enjoying being contrary.

I huffed, irritated. "Anyhow. James is a dear friend and I happen to enjoy hugging him. I've never really had a guy friend before and I like having one. I wouldn't mess it up with romance. Besides, I don't _like _James like that."

"I know." Lily admitted simply. "I've known for a while. I just didn't… I was still jealous because you guys have something that I'll never have with James. I didn't want anyone to have a part of James I don't have. And I guess that I was a little bit worried that if it came to picking… that James would pick you over me."

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "James is completely bonkers over you. Has been for seven years now. It's time you realize it."

Lily smiled and it was the sweetest thing I'd ever seen. "I'm sorry Ari. You didn't do anything wrong and I got jealous. I'm sorry for taking my insecurities out on you."

The dance ended and I reached up to pat her cheek. "I'm sorry as well. Now that you and James are dating, I should be a little bit more sensitive about how I act towards him. As a friend, I should've known to back off a little."

Lily's eyes teared up and I could feel mine responding. "Aria," Lily croaked. She hugged me fiercely and I hugged her just as tightly back. I heard applause break out around the Hall. We pulled apart to find ourselves alone on the dance floor. Guiltily, we giggled and hurried off.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. Amazing that I could see them, even at this distance. "If that isn't friendship, I don't know what is."

James was waiting on the side, blushing. I realized that most of the Hall had heard our conversation. Great.

Lily walked straight up to him. "I'd like to have that dance, if you'll still take me."

James looked relieved. "Of course, Lils."

Fan girls in tow, Sirius strode up. His teeth were clenched. I could see how irritated he was with his hanger-ons. "Aria, wanna dance?" He extended his hand, eyes begging for escape.

I grinned maliciously at him. "You only get one dance tonight, so choose it well, Black."

He groaned. "Fine. Fine." He turned to walk away, probably heading to the bathroom to hide. Abruptly, he paused and looked back. "Save the last dance, will you?"

I nodded. "Sure thing."

For a second, it seemed like he would say more. But then Maxie jumped on him and he was distracted, hurrying away from them, and me, once again.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The evening flew by. I was never sitting always dancing. I did not lack for partners; I was, after all, Aria Colette. I even got to dance with James and Remus a few times. I was constantly laughing, high spirits boosted by spiked punch. I wasn't drunk by any means but I certainly wasn't entirely sober anymore either.

I even ended up dancing with my cousin once. Most of the time we studiously avoid each other at school, but tonight was special. I noted the length of his hair; it fell in his eyes. I asked him for news of home and he lied to me, mentioning nothing of the Death Eater chase involving my newly criminal mother.

The clock ticked ever closer to midnight and the last dance. I saw Sirius frequently, most of the time not dancing, but surrounded by girls. I'd grin at him mockingly from where I was dancing and he'd glare. Which, I must admit, was pretty damn hot when it comes down to it.

I stumbled off the dance floor after my last dance with James. We were both cracking up after I'd almost tripped us into the punch bowl.

"Merlin's beard, Rs!" James chuckled hysterically. "You really weren't lying about having two left feet."

I attempted to muffle my laughter. "Did you see Professor Slughorn's face when we almost shoved him into the doughnuts?"

Another peal of laughter shook James. "He looked like he was about to be shoved into Madame Rosmerta's chest!"

I howled at that one, tears coming to my eyes from laughing so hard. Our friends stared at us, sure we were going insane.

Kristy put her hand to my forehead. "Aria? Are you feeling alright?"

Rayne stuck her hand in front of my face. "How many fingers am I holding up, Ari?"

I wiped my eyes, laughter subsiding. "I'm fine, I'm fine. That was just _so_ funny!"

Lily rolled her eyes. "You guys really are the worst."

James and I glanced at each other, which only set us off again.

Dumbledore's voice boomed over the Hall. "Alright students. It's almost midnight, so it's time for our very last dance. Grab your partner and hit the floor for this special ten-minute number!"

That was enough to sober me up. I stopped laughing. "Seriously? Ten minutes of dancing with Black? You've _got_ to be kidding me."

Sirius grinned snootily at me. I could tell he was enjoying getting me back for rubbing in his fan-stalked-ness. He held out his hand. "You promised, Ari."

"It's _Aria_ to you, Black," I informed him, reluctantly taking his hand. "And where are we going?"

He was discreetly tugging me out of the Great Hall. I followed him, trusting him more than I probably should. Within a minute, I found myself in the garden. I could hear the music starting up inside the Hall as Sirius pulled me gently to him. I settled my left hand on his shoulder and watched as my right hand was engulfed by his.

"Your hands really are large," I murmured distractedly. His chest was hard against mine.

His eyes sparkled, a deep, shiny silver. "Maybe yours are just tiny."

I rolled my eyes, getting back into the swing of things. "I'll have you know that I am only a few inches shorter than the average height for a woman."

Sirius raised his eyebrows mockingly. "And I am only a few inches taller than the average height of a man. Below average is short, silly."

I narrowed my eyes. "Call me short or silly again and I'll step on your feet."

He snorted. "You're doing quite a nice job of it without having anything to get me back for."

I blushed. My dancing really was terrible. I focused on our feet watching the pattern.

Hating the silence, I struck up conversation again. "Why'd you take me out here anyway?"

I felt his shoulders shrug under my hand. "I thought you'd prefer it. Everyone would've been gawking at us in there. Here, we're alone."

I looked up at him, disbelievingly. "Yeah. Alone. AKA: If anyone saw us leaving, they'll immediately assume that we were doing the deed on that stone bench over there." I nodded to our right.

Sirius frowned. "Why would we ever do that? That bench looks awfully uncomfortable."

I nodded, agreeing with him for once. "And besides, it's hardly private. Even broom closets are better."

"Actually, that is kind of what beds are for."

"Well, that and sleeping."

"But a bed's _primary _use…"

"Is sleeping, Sirius. Only for you would it be the opposite."

"Because I'm so special?"

"No. Because you're such a man-whore."

"That is such an ugly word."

"An ugly word for an ugly thing."

"Excuse me. I'm the epitome of tall, dark and handsome."

"Tall, yes. Dark, sort of. Handsome… not so much."

"Then why are you blushing?"

He was right. I was blushing. This whole conversation was too weird. I was out in the gardens with Sirius Black, dancing abnormally closely and talking about sex and the word man-whore. I was slightly concerned for my sanity and even more concerned for my judgment. It had never been very good in the first place, but if I stayed out here too much longer, it'd be completely smashed.

I avoided his question and his haunting eyes. "Do you think the song is almost done?"

I could almost feel him smirking. "Aria, _that_ eager to get away? I'm hurt."

Nervously, I looked up at him, mostly because I couldn't bear not seeing what kind of face he was making. I grimaced at his smug face. "You know this isn't exactly paradise for me."

He laughed, disregarding my not-so-pleasant words. "Well, its _almost_ paradise for me, so just allow me my moment, please."

I leaned my head warily against his chest. I could hear his strong, steady heartbeat. "Don't get use to this Black."

He laughed again and his chest shook. "I wouldn't dream of it."

The clock tolled midnight as we stood there, slowly dancing. Slowly, I pulled away, looking up into his face. In that moment, his eyes were almost completely unguarded. I felt like I could see everything in them, his affection for me, his patience, his desire… I'd never felt so loved.

I couldn't help it. I pulled his head down to mine and kissed him.

In that moment I remembered one of my mother's favorite sayings. _Curiosity killed the cat._

As I felt his smooth lips working flawlessly with mine, I recalled my comeback. _And satisfaction brought him back._

It wasn't until later, after I fled up to my dorm and flung myself on my bed, that I realized I had never gone through with the plan to test his 'love' for me.

Damn.

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**Eh? Eh? Good? I know a lot of you were looking forward to THE PLAN, but I think it's going to be postponed until a later point in the story.**

**I also want to say… I think there is only going to be ten or less chaps left of this story. (Most likely MUCH left than ten). I'd like to know if there are any bonus scenes you guys want me to put up at the end. (I haven't written any yet… but I probably will). I know you guys don't know the end yet (I do, MUA HA HA HA) but if there are ideas you have thus far… I'd love to hear it. Maybe a scene from another POV or something. Idk.**

**Also, please, please, PLEASE review. I literally eat reviews for breakfast. If I don't have reviews, I go to school in a bad mood and don't feel like writing. Which is bad. You are starving the plot bunnies by not reviewing. **

**I love you all! **


	28. Flirting in the Morning

**EDIT: For all of you that already read this chapter, there was a HUGE mistake at the end. At a certain place... that I don't want to give away, it said Rayne's name twice instead of Nyx. I'm sure you all know where this is. It was a mistake, this is the edit. Sorry for not catching it before!**

**Hey guys!**

**So… I've been dreadfully sick this past week. I spent the first two days slacking and watching TV, but I buckled down on the third day and wrote this chap. I'm warning you, I had a bit of a fever writing it, so if it's really erratic, that's why. **

**I want to warn you before you read. There is a segment of this chap where I use quite a few… not-so-polite words. I have used them before, mostly sparingly. But now they are all clustered up into a few sentences and capitalized. Sooo… yeah. Please forgive my language.**

**Thank you! Please read and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Oh pllleeeeaze. JK wouldn't dare use as much profanity as I have in this chap. She's a MOM, guys!**

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If there is one thing I hate, its waking up the morning after Something Big and realizing that you were a complete, utter idiot and now you have to deal with the consequences.

Actually, there may be one thing I hate more. Impulsiveness. Because that's what makes Something Bigs happen and causes you to deal with them. If I weren't so damn impulsive, I wouldn't be standing on the edge of the girl's dormitory staircase, debating whether or not to ever go down.

Let's just think about the last time I kissed Sirius. True, _he _initiated it that time, but I still participated, you know. I believe I spent the next couple of days dealing with the repercussions. And now I'd gone and kissed _him_. Who knew what sort of drama would go down _now_?

At some point, I realized I was being a drama queen as well as an idiot and forced myself down the stairs, all the while hoping he wasn't standing at the bottom of them. But you know how Luck and I are. We aren't exactly the closest friends. In fact, I think she has it out for me. Although I can't be entirely certain. But sure enough, there he was, glowering against the wall by the boy's dormitory staircase. James, Remus and Pettigrew were with him, talking animatedly. I braced myself as I entered the Common Room.

His eyes immediately flew to me, staring accusingly. I winced. After all, I had kind of kissed him and ran for it. Not exactly fair and square.

When I made no move to speak to him, he rolled his eyes, disdainfully looking away. I felt a wave of nausea if I wondered if this was the end. Was he tired of being in love with someone that couldn't make up their mind? Was he going to avoid me and leave me behind?

I could hear all the words he didn't say. _Coward._ _Tease. Cruel._

That's when I made up my mind.

Setting my jaw, I strode firmly over to him and stuck my hand in his face. His eyes widened in surprise.

I squeezed my eyes shut and blurted out, "Look, I'm sorry for what happened and it wasn't fair and I wasn't thinking and I'm sorry. Please forgive me for being an idiot!" I peered up at him through half-shut lids.

He blinked wonderingly for a couple of seconds before he processed what I said. Then, he snickered. "You think you're getting off _that_ easy?"

I looked at him warily. "You're up to something," I told him unnecessarily.

He rolled his eyes. "So suspicious." He smirked down at me, and I tried hard to remember exactly why I had kissed him. Then his hand brushed mine and I swear I felt fireworks. Oh yeah. That.

He continued. "I'll forgive you, but you have to do something for me."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "What?"

He shrugged. "I don't know yet."

I narrowed my eyes. "I'm not sleeping with you Black."

He snorted. "It'll be appropriate. Something that fits the size of the crime."

I scanned his face for any mischief and found it oddly clear. Cautiously, I extended my hand to shake his. "I better not regret this, Black."

He shook my hand and then briefly ruffled my hair, causing my to emit a squawk of displeasure. "Don't worry about it Aria." He tugged a strand of my hair back into the proper place. "And what is with you calling me by my surname anyway?"

I sniffed. "You should be happy. I call nearly everyone else by their Christian name. You're special." I widened my eyes and gave a mock gasp. "Oh wait! I call Pettigrew by his surname too." I fake-smiled at him as he realized where I was going with this. "You should be comforted to know that I feel the same thing about you as Pettigrew." Unable to resist, I muttered, "That creeper," under my breath.

He gave me a light shove that nonetheless sent me stumbling. "I do feel comforted indeed," he said sarcastically. "Colette," he added as an afterthought.

I nearly hissed. "How many times have I told you? I _hate_ my last name. Don't you dare call me by it."

"Than don't call me by my surname," Sirius laid down the ultimatum.

I sighed, not seeing anyway out of it. "Fine," I muttered unhappily, "Spoil my fun."

"If you find that fun, you must have a really boring life," Sirius cheerfully informed me. I shoved him, hard, but, typically, he didn't react at all.

By this point, all our friends had straggled downstairs and most of the Gryffindor portion of the fan club as well. We were being actively watched.

Kristy slung her arm over my shoulder, yawning. "It's much too early in the morning to flirt, Ari."

I shoved her off. "I was not flirting with Bla-Sirius." I corrected myself unwillingly. "We were actually _arguing_ if you must know."

Kristy waved her hand airily. "Same difference."

I wanted to smack her, I really did.

On the side: Sometimes I wonder about why I have such violent reactions to certain suggestions about Sirius and I. Sometimes, you'd think I actually _cared_. And don't go shaking your head like that. I _don't _care. I mean, I sort of do in the I'm-attracted-to-him-and-I-also-like-him-as-a-friend-which-would-normally-mean-we're-romantically-involved-but-we-aren't-but-we-sort-of-are. Does that make sense?

Anyhow, we headed down to the Great Hall as a huge troop. I ended up walking with Sirius. We tended to get lumped together, as I've mentioned multiple times.

At the entrance to the Great Hall, he stopped me, eyes bright. "I've figured out what I want you to do."

I made a face at him. "Alright, that's nice and all, but can we discuss this at the table?"

He shook his head vehemently. "No. You have to do it here. And now."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever Sirius. What is it?"

He gave me a swift, gleaming smile that made my stomach coil in nervous anticipation and then pressed his lips quickly against mine.

The whole Great Hall reacted. For the first two seconds I had no idea what was going on. And then on the third, I managed to get some sense back into to me and hit him over the head with my book bag.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" I screamed, beating him over the head with my very heavy bag. His arms protected his head as he laughed hysterically.

"Miss Aria! Language!" McGonagall called from the teacher's table.

"Oh, who the FUCK gives a FUCKING SHIT!" I shrieked at the top of my lungs, causing Sirius to laugh even louder. "I was fucking MOLESTED in front of all of my peers by this DIP-SHIT! And now I'm not even allowed to CURSE about the BLOODY MOTHER-FUCKING MAN-WHORE!"

… I'm pretty sure I was insane.

Sirius attempted to run away down the aisle between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables. I pointed imperiously at him and shouted, "ATTACK MY BUNNY MINIONS!"

In retro prospect, I'm just grateful my friends responded to such a command. But they seemed to understand what I meant as they leapt up and cornered Sirius, beating him vindictively with their book bags.

"OI!" James shouted, jumping up and getting between Lily and Sirius. "Calm DOWN, you guys. We're going to get in a crap load of trouble!"

That convinced Lily and Rayne to cease their physical attacks. Kristy, being the loyal friend that she is, continued on with her assault. I raced to join her, finally realizing that there was one more method of attack open to me.

"AVIS!" I screamed, causing tiny birds to burst into existence around me. I pointed my wand at Sirius. "OPPUGNNO!" They flew to attack him viciously, pecking at his skin.

"ARIA COLETTE!" McGonagall appeared, boiling with rage. I abruptly came to my senses as she vanished my birds. Kristy immediately ceased attacking Sirius, shooting me an apologetic shrug.

McGonagall looked madder than she had since… maybe since I told her that she'd probably have more sex if she put a little effort into her appearance. Which had been the last day of my 6th year. I'd figured that she couldn't actually punish me because of summer vacation. She gave me extra summer homework instead. I spent all summer vacation cursing my stupidity.

Actually, she might even have been a little madder in this instance.

"Miss Colette," she spoke in a low, even tone that barely contained her anger. "My office. Now."

"Wait, Professor!" Sirius halted her by catching the sleeve of her robe. "It really is my fault. I provoked her. And I don't mind…"

McGonagall brushed him aside. "Provoked or not, Miss Colette not only used vulgar language, continuing after being warned not to, but she also used magic outside of class and violently attacked a fellow student. She must be punished."

"Come on, Professor," Kristy pleaded. "She already has detention on Fridays for the next three weeks."

McGonagall's nostrils flared. "Than she should learn to stop getting in so much trouble, shouldn't she!"

Dumbledore coughed quietly, drawing attention as he descended to join the hubbub. "Minerva… perhaps you should consider that certain… events might have made Miss Aria slightly more… unstable, I suppose you could say. Let it go this once."

Practically everyone in the Great Hall dropped their jaws. I was pretty sure that McGonagall, Dumbledore and I were the only ones who actually knew what was going on. I ducked my head. I didn't think the news had affected my actions, but if it got me out of detention, I'd take any excuse.

McGonagall gave a resigned sniff. "Fine. But you still have detention. Another three weeks!"

"Sadist," I muttered under my breath as the two staff members retreated back to their table. Ignoring the stares, I swung into my seat, grumpily taking some eggs.

"So." Remus awkwardly broached the silence. I didn't bother responding.

"Revenge," I murmured spitefully. Only Lily, who was sitting next to me, caught it.

"Aria…" she whispered. "If you still want to get back at Sirius, then you need to be a little more discrete. And less violent."

I raised my eyebrows, looking at her. "I thought you were all against it once you realized it might mean trouble."

She snorted. "That was a totally jerky thing to do. Completely humiliating for you. I'm all for getting back. But you have to be _discrete._ And besides," she paused to fluff her hair, "There are ways to get revenge well within the Hogwarts rules."

I pressed my lips together to quell a smile. "I think I've got an idea, if you, Rayne, and Kristy would be willing to help me."

Lily grinned. "We always are."

I bit my lip excitedly. "Let me think on it. I'll tell you about it in Transfig."

And I began to plot.

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(**Aria, **_Lily, _**Kristy****, **Rayne)

**Lils?**

_Aria, are you done with the plan?_

**I think I've about got it. Now I just need your opinion.**

_Which I'm always willing to give._

**Oi! What exactly is going on here?**

_ Aria's coming up with a devious plot to get back at Sirius._

This is taking immature to a whole new level. … I'm all for it!

**Okay, so what's the story anyway? After all, I heard you owed him something or something… What's going on there?**

** Oh, it's no big deal. I just kissed him.**

_YOU KISSED HIM?_

**Yeah, during the last dance last night. He was looking so edible… and we'd just been dancing… so… I don't know. I don't even really remember how it happened. One minute I was thinking about how silver his eyes were and the next I'm pulling him down to snog the crap out of him.**

Aria… why do things like this always happen to you?

**I'm an impulsive idiot. I can't help it. I should get therapy for my issues.**

_Oh, and what was Dumbledore talking about this morning?_

**I don't know. He was just being weird. You know that Dumbledore. He's always doing something wacky.**

Getting back to the subject at hand… Aria, what is your brilliant plan to get back at Sirius for publicly humiliating you by kissing you in front of the whole school?

** It involves you guys doing a lot of work… I'm just warning you.**

_Okay, I'm getting nervous. Just tell us already!_

**Okay, this is **_**so**_** immature, but… I was thinking… The best way to get back at Sirius is through his friends. So… what if you guys swore you would not touch your boyfriends or speak to them or anything for a whole week as punishment to Sirius? Your little devoted puppies would hate it and totally bug him. It'd be terrific!**

Okay… I take back my earlier statement. THIS takes immature to a whole new level. And I still love it. I'm so messed up.

**We all are, dear, we all are. And I'm all for it, Ari. Rick will throw a fit and TORTURE Sirius. Besides, it'd be a good way to revamp the romance. Just snogging is getting dull. This'll add… intrigue!**

_ Yeah, I'm good! I'm getting sick of James being all… hesitant with me. I want to snog, damn it!_

**That's right, Lils, stick up for your rights!**

**A woman should have a good amount of snogging, but not too MUCH, if you know what I mean.**

_Indeed. And at first I thought it was sweet that James didn't try to snog me every five minutes. I still do. But that doesn't mean I don't want any action at all! Come on! Even if I'm a girl, I am a TEENAGE girl!_

**Well… if you want to go even farther, we can do something really low.**

**Sounds scandalous! What's your idea?**

**Think sitting at Rayne's table for once with a couple of very attractive Ravenclaw boys… maybe even a little flirting…**

_Oooohh… Aria, that's low indeed._

Getting the boys jealous… I like it. Besides, Remus needs some pay back after telling me he didn't want to go to the dance with me, then snogging me and asking me out with positively NO explanation.

**God, we are so evil to them, aren't we?**

_What else are boys for?_

**Good point.**

**Well then! Today, at lunch, we tell them and sit with those afore mentioned boys.**

Let's do it!

**Bring it!**

_All for us and us for all!_

**Time to show the boys who's boss!**

At that point, McGonagall rather rudely stole the note out of my hand and gave me more detention, conveniently forgetting that Rayne, Lily, and Kristy had been writing notes too. I swear, that woman has it out for me. I am so going to get back at her when I stay her flat Christmas break.

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After McGonagall kept me five minutes late to scold me, I headed with the girls to lunch. We were psyched to put our plan into motion. I have to admit, I was kind of nervous. I mean, Rayne was right. This _was_ taking immature to a whole new level. But… he _kissed _me in front of the _whole Great Hall._ Forgive me for being a bit upset!

In some deep corner of my mind, I knew I was being irrational. Honestly, I didn't care. I wanted to be silly and stupid. Isn't that what being a kid is for? So you can screw up and be and idiot and no one will care, 'cause after all, you're a kid!

Dumbledore was probably right. After all, I hadn't had that extreme of a reaction to the news McGonagall had imparted. I _was_ a drama queen. Was this my way of getting my feelings out?

My head hurt from trying to psychoanalyze myself. I shook my head dismissively and put my thoughts aside as we entered the Great Hall.

Kristy grinned. "This is going to be so much fun."

Rayne bit her lip. "I feel a little guilty."

I poked her in the stomach and she yelped. "Don't chicken out on me now, Rayne."

She was about to retort as someone knocked into to me. Irritated, I turned to curse them out (I was _not_ in the mood for that sort of thing) when I recognized the person who had bumped into me.

"Cissy," I breathed softly. She looked at me blankly, without emotion.

"Aria," she replied coolly. She pulled her book bag higher up on her arm. "I apologize."

Now, Narcissa isn't the type to lose track of her surroundings and walk into someone. I knew this was deliberate. I tried to convey my confusion; slipping back into that kind of talking-without-talking language Cissy and I had developed as children.

"I'm fine, thanks!" I told her, beaming. "You?"

She calmly tucked a strand of platinum hair behind her ear. "Quite well." She tilted her head slightly towards the Slytherin table and shot me a look. "It's been a while."

I put my hands in my skirt pockets. "Yeah…" I agreed. I thought I knew what she was getting at. "Why don't we catch up over lunch?"

Cissy's mouth turned up slightly at the corners and I knew I had gotten it right. "That would be delightful."

I smiled uneasily at her. "Okay, I'll be there in a sec."

Lily's hand clamped down on my shoulder. "Wait, Aria. What about the plan and everything?"

It all seemed so trivial now. I shot Lily a quick grin. "It'll have to be postponed, I guess." I tugged away from them and waved. "I'll see you guys in Potions!"

I turned away before I could see the hurt expressions that they were undoubtedly wearing.

Cissy had waited for me. "Cold," she commented as I reached her side.

I shrugged. "Not much else I could be."

She raised one eyebrow slightly, saying nothing and I grimaced at her. Sometimes it was almost irritating how well Cissy could make a point by saying nothing at all.

I followed her to the Slytherin table nervously. Through all my years at Hogwarts, I had never actually sat there before. If Cissy and I were going to eat together, we normally ate in her dorm. It was odd, walking on this side of the room. It was like I had entered a whole new world.

Nyx was sitting, saving seats for us. I studied her seriously for the first time in months and was shocked at what I saw. She looked almost gaunt, her dark eyes listless and her hair lank. There was no question. Something was horribly wrong.

Cissy sat next to Nyx and I sat across from them. I could see the gaping mouths of the other students over their shoulders and ducked my head. It was probably a first. A Gryffindor had most likely never sat at the snake's table before.

I leaned forward towards Cissy and Nyx. "What's going on?" I asked almost silently, my forehead crinkling with worry.

Cissy and Nyx exchanged glances. Then Cissy sighed and looked at me, her deep blue eyes full of sorrow. "It's about _Him._"

To anyone else, this would have meant the Dark Lord, but I knew whom she meant. She was talking about Nyx's secret boyfriend, a Muggle who lived in London. During the summer, we had done a lot of covering for Nyx when she visited him. I had even dropped her off a few times. I felt my stomach clench in dread. My hands gripped the table hard.

"What's happened to him?" I questioned, almost not wanting to ask.

Nyx looked up, eyes filling with tears. "I think Regulus found out."

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**MUA HA HA HA!**

**Drama fest coming up for all of you!**

**Swordandpen28, here you go. That delicious little plot line I set up back in chapter 2… it's finally here! Hee hee!**

**Sooo… for the bonus chaps at the end of the story… I've had two suggestions, I believe. The first is for me to write a little something about the Slytherins. The second is write something in Lily's POV about Aria and James's relationship, etc. Both of these sound like fun, and I'm looking forward to writing them! I'm still taking requests for extras, if you guys would like any others. I'm willing to write three or four of them. So please give me your ideas!**

**I hope you enjoyed this chap! I 3 you all! REVIEW! Please.**


	29. Niche

**Hey guys!**

**So, I know a lot of you saw my mistake last chap. It's NYX that has the secret Muggle boyfriend, not Rayne. I accidentally wrote Rayne's name, mostly because they use to be the same character in the early outlines of this fic. So, my apologies. **

**Starting with last chapter, we have a new plot arc, that will involve the Slytherins much more. I'm a little worried about it, because it's going to be much darker by necessity. For instance, this chap has barely any comic moments. I feel that it's important, though, and I hope you agree and don't mind a bit of angst.**

**With that, please read and enjoy!**

**Standard Disclaimers that I'm too tired to actually write out.**

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"What?" I hissed, jolting back. I couldn't process it. How could Regulus have found out about this one, most tightly guarded secret? We had kept this secret since fourth year, when Nyx had met the Muggle boy in a bar we liked to frequent. It was the crown jewel of all secrets, one that we could physically not keep. Even when it was just the three of us, we never spoke his name. In fact, I don't believe I've ever said it in my life. I'll say it now. Alec. Alec Sorin.

It was the ultimate Romeo and Juliet relationship. Nyx was a total Pureblood, to the core. True, she lacked that crucial disdain for Muggles and Muggle-borns, but she believed in most of our oldest traditions. She had wanted to grow up and marry some striking Pureblood gentlemen from a wealthy family who would treat her kindly, if distantly, and buy her expensive jewelry as an apology for cheating on her with his blonder, curvier mistress. She had no illusions of love or fairy tales. For that matter, I wasn't big on them either. It was kind of beaten out of us as children, no pun intended.

But Nyx had _found_ it, the real thing. Something none of us even thought existed. She and Alec… they had just connected. In one look, one dance, one touch. She was head over heels, and so was he. They were just desperate about him. She even told him about magic last year. He took it with a lot of disbelief, but it didn't influence his feelings. If anyone had love, it was them.

It had been imperative that Regulus _never_ find out. He was a Death Eater wanna-be, twisted, and abusive. Once, a long time ago, there had been good in Regulus. Believe me, I would know. For a long time, he and Cissy were my two closest people in the world. No one but the three of us remembered that now, but he had been good, even _pure_. Then something had happened and he had warped, changed, become someone I didn't even know. Angry, taking out his hatred on everything. If he had found out about Alec… we were fucked.

"How could he have _possibly_ found out?" I breathed.

Nyx shrugged her shoulders desperately, lacking her normal elegant composure. Her lovely ebony hair was mussed. "I don't know! I don't know! I never said a word. I never did anything. I went along with everything he said. He never even _hit_ me, and you know the reputation he's got. I'd thought everything was going well. And then the next day I chanced upon him talking to his friends about his girlfriend and her 'filthy little Muggle lover'. Who else could he have been talking about?"

I tried to calm the storm of contradicting thoughts in my head. "Okay… first things first… when did you hear this?"

Nyx tried to compose herself. "Umm… just last evening. I told Narcissa immediately and she said you might know what to do."

I nodded, distracted. "Did he mention either _he _or you in name?"

Nyx swiped a finger under her eye, to prevent smudged mascara. "Yes. When he talked about his 'girlfriend' he said my name a few times."

_Shit_. "Alright." I shot a look at Cissy. This wasn't good. "Well, we can't confirm that he meant _him _unless he mentioned his name. He could just have figured out you were seeing a Muggle, but not know who he is." I saw faint, frantic hope light Nyx's eyes. I hated to smash it. "But… we should probably assume the worst and prep for that." Like I actually _knew_ how to do that. "He could know about _him_, and that is risk enough. We… may need to get help here."

Nyx looked at Cissy. Cissy shook her head. "We can't involve any of the professors. There are too many repercussions."

I licked my lips. They were so damn dry from stress. "Just… think about it. Is the wealth and power worth the loveless life you'll lead and the potential death of your love?"

Nyx clenched her fists, eyes dilated with fear. "You don't get it Ari. This is all I have! All I've ever wanted to be. I'm going to grow up and be like my mom and then raise a perfect little girl to be like me. Besides…" She turned her head away and I could see this was the real issue. "I would go with him in a heartbeat and give up everything, but… I can't put such a large target on our backs. The Dark Lord and Death Eaters would be after us for the rest of our lives." She was decided on this course of action, that I could see in her eyes. "It'd be much better if I let him go and everyone forgets about this. He'll be safe, I'll be safe…" She looked wistfully at the window. "All I really want is for him to live happily. I just want to give him that."

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I had set myself up for disaster.

That was the pure and simple truth of it. Alec's chances at living at this point weren't high and I had just thrown in my lot as one of his protectors. I was, forgive me for the language, fucked.

I was in my dorm, throwing all my belongings into my Hogwarts trunk and attempting to think at the same time. I was moving into Cissy and Nyx's dorm for a while, because they both needed the emotional support. That, I felt I owed them.

I heard the clatter of shoes climbing up the staircase and took a deep breath. I'd have to explain this to them.

Lily, Rayne and Kristy burst through the door, their eyes immediately honing in on me. Kristy put her hands on her hips. "Miss Aria Colette, what do you think you're doing?"

I ducked, picking up a lone high heel off the floor and packing it away. "I'll be living with Cissy and Nyx for a while. Just temporarily, you know."

Lily sounded hurt, her voice strained. "But… why? Have we done something wrong?"

I whirled and was at her side in four bounds. "No! Lils, that's not it at all!" I settled for the half-truth. "Nyx is just going through some family troubles right now. I need to be there for her."

They nodded, accepting but not quite understanding. I snapped the locks on my trunk shut and flicked my wand at it to make it hover beside me. I smiled at my friends. "I'll miss you while I'm there."

They each hugged me. "We'll miss you too," said Lily, eyes glistening.

I moved to go downstairs, but Kristy caught my arm. "I almost forgot," she giggled. "We told Sirius what you were doing up here and he's royally pissed."

I snorted, pulling away and heading downstairs. "Poor thing."

I heard them following me. Rayne's voice echoed in the stairway. "I think that he thinks that you're reverting. Going back to the 'Slytherin you' or whatever. He's afraid it's his fault because he kissed you in front of the Great Hall this morning. And Sirius doesn't do guilty, so he's doing angry."

I rolled my eyes, even though no one could see me. "I'll deal with him before I leave, I suppose."

There was an absurd amount of people in the Common Room. Including our beloved Marauders, of course. The moment I entered with my trunk, they surged to their feet.

"CHARGE!" James called loudly, and all of a sudden, I had four Marauders running at me.

I had somewhat expected this sort of thing. I whipped out my wand. "Impedimenta!" I muttered, pointing my wand at them. They froze. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, reminding myself of James. "Look guys, just because you are worried about me does not give you the right to charge at me and try to control what I do. For your information, I am going to the Slytherin dorms to offer a friend support and I may stay for a while. This has nothing to do with me. Happy?" I realized they were still frozen and flicked my wand to negate the spell.

They all fell to the ground. I snickered at the sight, prancing happily to the Common Room exit. One leg out the portrait hole, I turned and blew them all a kiss. "Toodles, darlings!"

I skipped off down the hall, in a significantly better mood than what I had started packing in. I was sure we'd find a way out of Nyx's troubles.

"WAIT! Aria!" Someone yelled behind me. Well, not someone. I rolled my eyes, turned and crossed my arms.

"Seriously, Sirius. Did you have to follow me?"

He skidded to a stop in front of me, hair in his face from running and breath heavy. He grabbed my arm. "Can we talk in there?" He gestured towards a tapestry.

I stated the obvious. "Sirius… it's a tapestry."

He shook his head, not even taking the time to be sarcastic. "No, it's not." He pushed aside the tapestry and there was a little niche, not much bigger than a broom closet.

I eyed it warily. "Sirius, if you even _think_ about pulling something."

He didn't bother replying, just rolled his eyes and yanked me in.

It was tight. And probably not the best place. After all, we really didn't have space. Only an inch or two. And I was _attracted_ to him. And he was _definitely_ attracted to me. I squirmed back, trying to keep in control of the situation.

"What you want, Sirius?" I asked, exasperated. "And why have you dragged me in here to deal with it?"

"What's happening?" He stuck it to me bluntly. "In case you can't remember, I use to _live_ in a Slytherin house. I know their ways. No one is just randomly going to be having 'issues'. If they are, it's something big. And I want to know what's going on."

"Sirius!" I hissed. "It's private! Can't you understand that?"

He raised his eyebrows. "I want to _help_, Aria. There's no way my cousin or Loyde **(in case you've forgotten, that's Nyx's last name)** would call you in unless it was serious and they couldn't handle it. And if they can't handle it alone, I'll bet that you can't either." He slammed his hands onto the wall on both sides of my head, so he was leaning over me. "I want to _help_, Ari. Please just _tell_ me."

I bit my lip. And then the whole thing came gushing out.

By the end, Sirius's forehead was creased with worry lines. I imagined taking my hand and wiping them away.

"So… what you are saying is… there is basically nothing that you know how to do?"

I shook my head. "I've thought of everything… but if we try to send him word, we might give away his location, assuming they don't know that. Besides, he's a minor. What is he going to tell his parents? None of us have any real control over the situation." I buried my head in my hands. "I don't know what to do!" I wailed and I realized with horror that I was crying. "I don't want anything to happen to either of them but I don't know how to fix it!"

Warm arms enveloped me. I was pulled to rest against Sirius's chest. I wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him back as I sobbed into his sweater. He stiffened at that but kept holding me, tightly, firmly.

His lips brushed against my ear. "Everything's going to be okay, Aria," he promised. "I won't let anything bad happen to you."

I looked up at his earnest face and traced my fingers across the lines on his worried forehead. "Sirius?"

He was petting my hair. "Yes, love?"

I ducked my head, hiding against his chest. "Can you say it once?"

"I'll say anything you want," he murmured.

I trailed my fingers down his chest and he shivered. "Just tell me how you feel about me."

He dropped a light kiss on the top of my head. "I love you. Why?"

I tried to phrase it right. "It's just nice knowing sometimes."

I could feel his chest rumbling as he chuckled. "Well, that's surprising to hear. I thought it bugged the living day lights out of you."

It was kind of nice, just standing there and talking nonsensically. "Well, it does most of the time. It's just… with you, I don't have to worry about you leaving me, or not wanting me. I know you'll always love me, even if I'm a bitch or whatever." Hurriedly, I assured him, "It's not like I'm taking your… affection for granted. It's just… nice to have."

He laughed again. "Of course it is. Love's a nice thing in general."

I nodded. "Yeah. It is."

It was kind of an odd situation. I was standing in a hole in the wall the size of a broom closet, clinging to Sirius Black and confiding some of my deepest secrets. It was just not something the normal me imagined. The normal me imagined people making with fishes as tongues. But… to normal me, this was even weirder than that.

I don't know how long I stood there, matching his breath to mine, before I pulled away. I smiled up at him, feeling completely unguarded. "Thank you. I know that was very selfish of me. Thanks for going along with it."

Carefully, Sirius pressed his lips lightly to my cheek. I held obligingly still. "No problem. Anything for a friend, or the love of my life."

Lightly, I smacked his arm, grinning. "Now you're just being cheesy. I don't believe in that."

Together, we stepped out of the niche. Sirius grinned at me. "After all that, do you still believe you attracted to just my body?"

I winked shamelessly at him. "You betcha." I put a little pep in my walk as I bounced away, letting my skirt swing. "See you."

Behind me, he laughed. "You're incorrigible, Ari." I heard him moving in the opposite direction. "I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow."

I have to say, I wasn't exactly the happiest person on the planet. But I definitely wasn't the saddest anymore either.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

It'd been a while since I'd been in the Slytherin Common Room. I guess I'd forgotten things about it. Like how it either was extremely cold and refined or it seemed like a constant party house. Today, it was the later. The wealthy, popular boys sat with some sort of green drink in their hands, surrounded by women, each vying for their attention. I saw more than a few couples making out. It looked like an orgy in there.

"Well, if it isn't my stunning cousin."

The silky voice came from behind me. I turned slowly to face Lucius. He too held a green drink. There was busty blond draping herself across his chest. His platinum blond hair fell elegantly over his right eye and his thin lips smirked at me. His face was pointy, as all Malfoy's faces were. Self-consciously, I rubbed my own more rounded jaw line.

He noticed the flicker of my eyes to his beverage. He lifted it in a mock toasting gesture. "Absinthe. The Green Fairy. Care for some?" He extended a glass in my direction.

Politely, I took it, keeping my face neutral. Although I normally played the constant happy, peppy girl around the Purebloods, with Lucius I reverted to the cold, emotionless character. I could never explain why. "Thank you." I glanced around the room. "Is there a reason for this celebration?" For that is what it looked like.

Lucius's smirk deepened and a chill ran up my shine. "Indeed." His eyes narrowed as he assessed me. "We plan to have a little Muggle hunting sport very soon."

Fear coiled in my stomach. I was pretty sure this was Lucius's way of trying to intimidate me. It was certainly working. He was scarier than Dumbledore on crack. "Oh? Do you have a particular target in mind?"

A cruel joy flickered in his eyes. "I suppose you could say so. We've found out that one of our own has been consorting with… less than decent company. I think it would be right to put the boy in his place, don't you think?"

I swallowed, trying to keep the mask up. "Of course."

He arched a pale eyebrow. "You agree?"

"Of course," I assured him, lying through my teeth.

"Oh really?" He dragged a finger around the rim of his glass slowly. "Because from the company you have been consorting with… well, you aren't much better than the little slut who was sleeping with a Muggle."

I wanted to run, fast and far. His eyes were tearing down my walls. I couldn't help taking a step back. I tried to compose myself. "They're filth, I know. Unfortunately, I haven't got much of a choice. I do try and keep a popular image."

Lucius laughed, but it wasn't true laughter. "Always so image oriented Aria. And yet… I could swear… that this year perhaps that isn't your greatest concern? In fact, I had rather thought that you meant to leave our society and join the blood traitors after school's ended."

I shook my head jerkily. "No. I couldn't. You know that, Lucius."

Lucius gave another malicious smirk. Leaning in, he put his lips to my ear. "Make sure you know your place, cousin."

As he strode away, I tried to rebuild my Slytherin self, Aria Malfoy. Never before had I realized her ruin meant danger for me. But here, in the Slytherin Common Room, I was going to have to remember how to be her. And fast.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**This is the first time Lucius has ever really gotten face time in my story. I hope you enjoyed his creepy-ness. I love him in some sort of twisted way.**

**Remember that I live on reviews. Please… feed me. *puppy face***

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	30. Slytherin to Gryffindor to Slytherin

**Hey guys!**

**Sooo… I just wanted to alert you that it is fairly likely that I will not be updating next weekend. Finals are the week after and… I really need to focus on that. Once that's over, I'll get up another chapter.**

**Again, this chapter is much darker than most. I'm still kind of struggling with the plot from here on out. Basically, it's dark either way. But one way is darker than the other… If you guys have any preference, that'd be great and I'll take that into account. Keep in mind that I believe in a happy ending, so either way, this story'll end on a good note. It's simply how it GETS there.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter! Make sure and review!**

**Disclaimer: Really? Really? JK has much better things to do than write fanfiction.**

* * *

Let me just say, all those addicts that say falling back into a bad thing is easy are right. It's incredibly simple to just go back to the same-old, same-old. So it wasn't too long before Aria Malfoy came back to me, in all her glory.

I didn't forget the ways I had changed, of course. But I needed to be the Slytherin Aria to be able to survive in their House, while I stayed there. So I played my part to perfection.

I spent most of my days with Nyx and Cissy. When we weren't doing homework, we were trying to figure out ways to save Alec. It had been very clear where Lucius's threat was aimed. If we didn't find a way to do something, he was doomed.

The first part of the plan involved Nyx throwing herself at Regulus like a crazy cat lady goes at cats. The basic idea was that her sudden affection would distract him from Alec, maybe even make him think they'd broken up. Suddenly, they were snogging everywhere. It was more than mildly disturbing, if you ask me. I mean, we were basically making Nyx use her body as a distraction technique. It was pretty sick.

Part two was getting in discreet contact with Alec. This meant purchasing a whole new owl in secret and training her to only deliver mail in the dead of the night, both to Alec and us. It was the first time Alec and Nyx had ever been in contact while she was at Hogwarts. Had there not been other circumstances, it would have been a good thing.

The last, and most crucial, part of our plan was keeping a close eye on the big shots in Slytherin. We were betting that they would be the ones taking care of Alec, if it came down to it, or sending word to take care of him. We might be able to get a head start in telling Alec to hide if we could get word of what they were doing.

Our back-up plans were still being debated. I was all for sending an anonymous message to Dumbledore if we heard any news of the enemy moving. Cissy and Nyx were firmly against it; they didn't want to involve 'outsiders'. Of course, I'd already involved Sirius, without even really thinking about it. He had vowed not to do anything without my permission, but I was afraid he might go against that if it came down to it.

Days flew by and then drug on. There was little we could do but worry and wait.

* * *

It was the first week of December when we got the news. And not the good, cheery Christmas type.

We were staking out in Cissy and Nyx's dorm. Truthfully, we spent most of our time there. I was now an almost permanent resident, although I would occasionally spend time in the Gryffindor dorms. It was disconcerting for me, to be traveling between my two worlds. I had been doing it less and less. My friends, excepting Sirius, didn't know the exact reasons why I had opted to spend so much time in the snake pit, but they understood something was up and it was important. They had been as supportive as they could be, although I knew they didn't necessarily approve of my choices.

So I was lounging on my makeshift bed on the floor, talking to myself in my head. You see, Cissy was always rather quiet and Nyx was in a constant state of panic. I hadn't heard a solid joke in days that wasn't one of the vulgar ones made by the Slytherin boys. I was deprived of humor and attempting to cure that by talking to myself. So far, myself and I had discussed the weather, Sirius's tongue, and what it would be like to kiss him in his Animagus form. It's amazing how much more appealing he looked compared to the guys I'd been spending most of my time with.

The window was open and there was a chilly wind blowing in. I shifted uncomfortably on my pile of blankets.

"Cissy? Could you be a dear and close the window? I'm afraid my toes are complaining of frostbite." I turned my head slightly to look at her. She was sitting right by the window, gazing out, apparently undisturbed by the icy weather.

She shook her head slightly. "_He_ was supposed to send word last night. His letter should get here anytime now."

I yawned and stretched, pulling a blanket over myself. "Yes, and when the owl gets here, it'll tap on the window and we'll let it in. Until then, I would prefer not to be found dead of frost."

My attempts at humor weren't taken well. Cissy rolled her eyes at me, before resuming her vigil by the window. I wasn't sure Nyx actually knew we were speaking; she was so out of it these days.

Abruptly, Cissy launched to her feet. "There." She pointed at a white speck in the sky. It was moving quickly towards us. "That's our owl."

I sat up, clambering off of the floor and to Cissy side. I peered out into the sky. "Yep. That's certainly our bird."

Nyx moved for the first time in hours. She rushed to the window, pressing her palms against the cold windowpane. "Finally." Her voice was hoarse.

The small, white owl landed before us and three pairs of hands tore its message out of its claws. Nyx opened it greedily, turning away from us to read it. I grabbed Cissy's hand. Receiving these messages was always an anxious time. Any day could be the day when the world came crashing down around our feet.

Nyx let out a strangled gasp, and recoiled, the parchment falling from her hands. I snatched it up, reading rapidly as Cissy looked over my shoulder.

_Dear Nyx,_

_ I haven't much time to write. In fact, I'm a little scared to write at all. I know you told me to keep my eyes open, and I have. Nothing has happened… but recently, there have been some bloody scary people following me._

_ They change, every day, although its been going on long enough that I know some of them repeat. They aren't obvious, but they're always where I am. I think they're even renting an apartment in the same building as me. There's five or so of them, ranging in age from twenties to sixties. Once, there was a kid, around our age. Black hair, and black eyes. He looked like he wanted to strangle me. But that was only at the beginning._

_ Since then, they've just always been around. I'm getting freaked out by it, not to mention bloody paranoid. I didn't want to alarm you, but at this point, I think it's necessary._

_ There are three men, and two women. One of the women is the youngest of the bunch. She looked a lot like the kid that was in here once. Black hair, black eyes, really malicious looking. She always wears black and she's got this weird hairstyle, up and all over the place. She looks kind of goth with the make-up she sports. Really freaky. _

_ The other woman is older, probably around my mum's age, but she has this kind of timeless feel to her. Her hair is really, really light blond, a sort of silver-gold color. Reminds me of your friend Narcissa, in that way. She has this really stern, impassive expression. Her hair is in a strict bun and her clothes are pretty conservative. She's also got this ring on her hand… it looks like a diamond rodent, or something._

_ The blonde woman always appears with a blonde guy. He's older, but he's definitely related to her somehow. They look exactly alike sometimes. He's got these gray eyes that just seem to see everything. It's freaky._

_ The goth chic is always with this blank guy. He is so nondescript it's frightening. His hair is this mousy brown and his face is just plain. I can't even recall his height well, he's that forgettable. I would say that he and goth girl are involved, but they don't seem to have that romantic connection, you know? But they're always holding hands and everything._

_ Last, there is this short, stumpy sort of guy. Pretty large around the middle, if you know what I mean. He's also constantly eating. His head is shaved, but I would say he's around the same age as Miss Goth. He's kind of stupid looking too, actually. If it was just him, I wouldn't be worrying._

_ Please get back to me soon. I'm really worrying over here. I don't know what to do. Help!_

_Alec Sorin_

_P.S. Oh, and Nyx? I love you. No matter what._

This was not good. In fact, it was so horribly, awfully, terribly not good that neither Cissy nor I could speak for some moments afterwards.

Finally, I heard Cissy swallow. She pointed at the letter. "The 'goth girl' he talks about. That's got to be my sister."

Ah, good old Bellatrix. I'd been so happy when she graduated last year. The girl struck me as criminally insane, quite honestly.

Cissy continued. "And the nondescript man with her? It sounds like Rodolphus Lestrange."

"Oh." That did sound right. He really was forgettable. I had kissed him once, in my sixth year. Even that was forgettable.

Trembling, I looked at the other three descriptions. I immediately knew who they were. Trying to keep my voice even and distant, I nodded. "The pudgy guy is Crabbe. And the elderly guy is my Uncle Malfoy."

Cissy looked like she'd known the whole time but not wanted to say it. "Aria…"

I went on ruthlessly. "And the other woman is my mother."

The room went even stiller than it had been.

"And the kid… the dark eyed kid… that's Regulus." Nyx said, without any emotion coloring her voice. Cissy and I turned to her, expecting some sort of reaction. But she was composed and blank faced. She had hidden it all away.

"I've no idea how he got out of Hogwarts," I muttered. In the middle of this crisis, that seemed strangely important.

Cissy shook her head, as if trying to clear it. "I can't believe that they all…"

"I know," I murmured.

We had gotten into this expecting to have to deal with people we knew. After all, we were high society and most Death Eaters came from pure blood elites. But I don't think any of us had expected to have to deal with it on such a close level. Cissy was fighting against her sister. And I was fighting against my uncle and mother, the two people who frightened me most in the entire world.

There was no doubt that this would be a long and bloody struggle. A chill ran through me as I realized there was no way all of us would get through this alive and free.

* * *

I had to do something. That was all I could think. There was something I could do, needed to do. I just had to figure it out.

I had to do something.

I couldn't go to any adults. I had promised I wouldn't. Besides, they'd probably do more harm than good, especially to Nyx and Cissy's social lives once they graduated. They could be disowned.

I couldn't escape to London and deal with it on my own. I wasn't fool enough to pit myself directly against my mother and uncle in a duel. There was no doubt who would win. Besides, I really didn't know how to escape.

I couldn't just do nothing, for obvious reasons.

I couldn't threaten them or blackmail them. I didn't have definite knowledge they were Death Eaters. Even if I did, if I turned them in, I would probably be dead before you could say 'idiot'.

But I had to do _something._

I rubbed my temples vigorously. Maybe…

Maybe I needed to get to the root of the problem.

Maybe I needed to talk to Regulus Black.

* * *

I waited for him after dinner. I hid in a little niche in the wall I was sure he'd walk by. When he did, I grabbed his shirt and hauled him in.

He recognized me instantly, I could see that. There was a faint flicker of surprise in his eyes before they went dead. "Aria Colette." Even his voice was toneless. "What do you want?"

I knew what I was doing was reckless, but I plunged right ahead. "I wanted to talk to you about Alec, actually."

I swear, his jaw nearly fell off his face. His mouth was open so wide I was sure if I peered in I would be able to see his stomach. Which would have been gross. I mean, I'm grossed out if I even see that little dangling thing right before someone's throat. I could do without stomach juices in my life.

He eyes glittered with restrained anger. "You knew about the Mudblood?"

I stood firm. "I did. I do now." I tried to adopt the haughty Slytherin air I'd seen for my whole life. "I didn't have much of an issue with it, to tell the truth. So what if she wants to stick her tongue down some Mudblood's throat? He was just an amusement to pass the time. Besides, I doubt you know how easily those pathetic creatures become enthralled with us. It was just fun for her, that's all. A game." My heart was pounding from telling such blatant lies.

Regulus was unconvinced. "Oh? Then why are you here about him? If he's just a toy…"

I waved my hand dismissively. "Of course he is. But honestly. She's more than willing to break it off with him if you'd just _talk_ to her about it. Their little fling doesn't mean you have to break out of school to stalk him."

His hand flew to my arm, shoving me back into the wall. I made myself as unresisting as possible, knowing fighting would only set him off. "How do you know that?"

I attempted a nonchalant calm. "Word gets around, even if you think it doesn't." I leaned forward. "Look, what I'm trying to say is that you don't need to kill the boy. Nyx'll break it off and it'll be done."

His face twisted with revulsion. "No matter how much you act it Aria, you aren't one of us. You don't get it." His hot breath hit my cheek as he shoved his face in front of mine. "Nyx, a pure blood, allowed herself to be touched, _tainted_, by someone with no magic and inferior blood. He defiled her and she was _willing_. He didn't know what he was getting into, but his presumption in _loving_ her… that deserves to be punished. He can't be allowed to live, after doing something like _that_." He released me roughing and I fell gracelessly to the ground. His voice was dark as he spoke. "You'd best learn to get over your little sensitivities, Aria, and shut your mouth. Because otherwise you'll run into trouble."

I gave it one last shot. I lost the artifice and lies. "Reg," I breathed, calling him by his childhood nickname. "Please. Reg. Just this once. Spare him. I'll do whatever. Just let him go."

He paused, wavering, as if my plea had somehow touched him. But then he gritted his teeth and swept out, leaving me alone on the cold floor, in the same position I had started in.

* * *

That night I sat with Cissy and Nyx at the Slytherin table, trying my best to be inconspicuous. Unfortunately, when you're a Slytherin-turned-Gryffindor-returned-to-Slytherin, you're kind of noticeable. I was the getting the usual stares and murmurs, but tried my best to ignore them while I kept an eye on the group of sixth and seventh year Slytherin boys who were deep in conversation at the other end of the table.

I had known most of them since childhood. Avery, Mulciber, Dolohov, Rabastan Lestrange, Rosier… Lucius, my cousin. A few new additions, like Severus Snape. All conspiring and plotting against the person my friend loved.

I munched absently on pumpkin bread as I surreptitiously watched them. I stiffened as Regulus began relating something in a low voice. I was not surprised when shocked looks were thrown in my direction.

When Regulus finished, Lucius stood. I felt dread curdling in my stomach as he sauntered nonchalantly towards where I was sitting.

When he reached me, he placed a hand on my arm. "Might we talk, cousin?" He asked, his voice slippery with oozing charm.

I dared a glance at him. His eyes were glowing with malice. I took a deep breath. "Of course, Lucius. Anything for family."

We strolled out of the Great Hall. Lucius kept a hand on my arm that grew increasingly tighter and tighter.

Once we were a decent distance from the Hall, he whirled me around to face him. His face was eerily composed, but his eyes radiated murder. "What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing?"

I played dumb. Not hard to do, since that was already Lucius's opinion of me. "Pardon?" I inquired, making my voice infused with confusion.

He gave me a rough shake that rattled my skull. "You know what I mean, little cousin. You were poking your nose into other's business, weren't you?"

I shook my head frantically. "N-no. Not at all."

Calmly, emotionlessly, he punched my face.

If it hadn't been for the hand on my arm, I would have been thrown back against the stone walls. I could feel my body shaking.

His other hand grabbed my hair and pulled it back. I gasped softly from the pain. He continued speaking, just as coldly. "I told you to learn your place. I asked if you agreed that the Mudblood bastard needed to be punished. You agreed. Then, next thing I know, you go flouncing off to Regulus, trying to get it all called off." His hand was painfully tight on my arm, nails digging into my skin. "I think your mother has allowed you too much freedom. If she could see you now…" His hand released my hair to grasp my throat, carefully applying pressure. I grew dizzy from lack of air. "I know what she would do. I guess I'll just have to take her place." His fist slammed into my stomach. I gave a muffled groan.

We both froze as we heard a clattering of footsteps. Not just one or two either. A whole herd. A voice carried ahead. "I'm sure I heard someone being hit over here somewhere, Professor. Just a little farther."

Lucius released me instantly and I slid to the ground, drawing in deep breaths. A second or so later, some third year girl, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and practically the whole school rounded the corner. It was more than enough time for Lucius to kneel down beside me and pretend to be concerned about my blackening eye.

McGonagall gasped. "Miss Colette! What is going on here?"

Lucius responded for me, smoothly getting to his feet. "Aria was being quite clumsy, Professor, and she tripped. Banged her head rather nicely."

McGonagall frowned, disbelieving. "Mr. Malfoy, it looks far more like she was punched in the eye. Have you anything to do with this?"

Lucius pretended to look horrified. "Professor! How could you accuse me of hitting my own cousin?"

Under her breath, I could barely hear McGonagall mutter, "Very easily." Luckily, Lucius didn't catch it. Dumbledore did, though, and I could see a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said. "The evidence is against you. Minerva is quite right is saying that it appears that Miss Aria has been punched. Also, Miss Garner here heard someone being hit. I'm afraid your story is losing ground."

Instantly, I was on my feet. It didn't matter how badly my head hurt or how dizzy I was. I acted without thinking. I couldn't let Lucius be accused of hurting me, no matter how true it was. I couldn't let such a thing shame me, our family. And I couldn't turn him in when I needed to stay on the Slytherins' good side. "I fell, Professor."

All eyes turned to me. I took two steps forward, so I was in front of Lucius. Protecting him. "Lucius is telling the truth. I wasn't watching where I was going and I tripped and hit my head. It looks like I was punched because whenever someone hits their head hard, it causes swelling around the eyes. That's why my eye appears all swollen. You know, how when you break your nose, you also get a black eye…" I took a deep breath to cut off my rambling.

McGonagall was fuming. I knew she could see right through me. In fact, so could Dumbledore. But most of the students were nodding, believing me.

Lucius took his advantage and ran with it. "See Professor? My cousin is just such a klutz. I'm sure she'll pay more attention next time." I stiffened at the double meaning in his words.

I nodded. "Of course. Of course I will."

Dumbledore seemed to be pondering something. "Alright, Miss Aria. We believe you." He turned to Lucius. "Detention, Mr. Malfoy."

Lucius was indignant. "Why, Professor?"

"For not immediately running for a teacher. After all, if Miss Aria fell when Miss Garner heard her, that would have been several minutes ago. More than enough time for you to fetch aid for your cousin. If the injury had been bad, irreparable damage could have happened by now. Good night Mr. Malfoy, Miss Aria." Dumbledore nodded and swept away, while I gazed in awe after him.

Lucius was burning with fury, but he couldn't express it then or there. With a curt nod at me, he strode off, tailed by his groupies.

McGonagall put an arm around my waist as I staggered slightly. "Come, Miss Colette," she said briskly. "Let's get you to Madame Pomfrey's office."

My eyelids were fluttering shut as we walked past the hoards. Just before I blacked out, I saw Sirius, a murderous expression on his face. I knew instantly that Lucius, and I, for that matter, were in for trouble.

Damn.

* * *

**Hmmmm… Abuse. I hope I didn't make it overly angsty. It just seemed like what Lucius would do… (BTW: If any of you are ever hit or anything, do not do what Aria did. I am not encouraging sticking up for someone who hits or abuses you. Seriously, tell someone. Get help. Etc. It is not okay for someone to hurt you like that.)**

**That little rant done, I hope you enjoyed it. I'd like to be fed some reviews if that's okay. Your reviews last week were really encouraging. They made me very happy. So thanks.**

**Toodles! Love you all!**


	31. Skirts and Facial Bruising

**Hey guys!**

**Yeah, I know, it's been forever. I'm an awful person. But I have been trying!**

**I have literally rewritten this chapter five times. This was SUCH a hard chapter for me to write, because I struggled so much with balancing the darkness with some humor. Even in the worst sorts of situations, I think Aria would still have her humor. She's just that kind of person. And keeping that… was difficult.**

**So here it is. You'll hate me once you've read it, I think. So why don't you leave me a review and tell me what you think!**

**Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling is a wonderful mother. I'm sure I'd royally suck at it.**

…

I woke up in the hospital wing. Which I suppose was to be expected when your crazy, evil cousin slams you into a wall, partially strangles you and punches you just for emphasis.

I sat up blearily and ran my hands through hair mussed with sleep. Luckily the room seemed entirely deserted. Even Madame Pomfrey was gone. I slipped off the lumpy bed I'd been dumped on and tiptoed out of the room.

The halls were just as empty as the Hospital Wing. I must have spent the whole night in the Hospital Wing. I glanced out of the nearest window. It looked like it was about one or two in the afternoon. I'd been sleeping for over twelve hours.

"What is about being strangled that makes one so damn sleepy?" I wondered aloud to myself as I headed towards the Slytherin Common Room. In fact, I still was sleepy. I let out a huge yawn. Maybe the lack of oxygen? No, but you were deprived of oxygen during snogging as well and I wasn't exactly sleepy after that. Although, snogging usually led to shagging and I was pretty damn tired after that, most of the time.

Ah well, it would have to remain a mystery. I was too damn tired to figure out why I was so damn tired.

I crept into the Slytherin Common Room and glanced about. No one here either. The room was even eerier than normal empty. The cool, green waters of the lake seemed to push in at me and I suddenly felt like a rabbit caught in a hunter's trap. I shivered and scampered up the stairs to Cissy's dorm. I collapsed on my bed and fell into a fitful sleep.

…

I was awoken by forceful, shaking hands. "Aria!" Cissy said exasperatedly, "It's almost time for dinner. Wake up."

I batted weakly at her hands. "Do I have to?"

I imagined Cissy rolling her eyes. "Yes. Now get up."

Grumpily, I rolled out of bed. As soon as I was standing, Cissy began smoothing my rumpled uniform. I made no effort to help, blearily wondering if one could sleep standing up.

"There." Cissy stepped back to survey her work. "Just button the top three buttons and you'll be good."

I frowned at her. "I never button those."

She eyed my throat. "You might want to today."

Confused, I reached up to rub my neck. I winced as I felt how sore it was. What…

My eyes widened as I realized and I rushed for a mirror. I sucked in a breath as I saw the hand shaped bruise around my neck.

Crap.

"Besides that and your eye, you also have a huge bruise on your stomach." Cissy informed me bluntly. "I was able to reduce a lot of the swelling but you'll need to see Madame Pomfrey if you want them completely healed."

Longingly, I traced the bruise. "Too risky."

Cissy shrugged. "Then do up the buttons."

Doing as I was told, I forced myself to cover my neck. Honestly what else would this little game cost me? Next thing you knew, I would have to wear skirts that reached my knees. Oh, the horrors.

I stretched, hating the constriction around my throat. "What happened while I was asleep?"

Cissy ran a brush through her hair. "Not much. Mr. Malfoy was notified about the whole thing. Nyx has been making out with Regulus the whole day, practically. Your Gryffs have been pestering me about you. Oh, and my cousin looks like he might kill."

I flinched. "Damn. I'll have to deal with him later."

Cissy nodded and wordlessly exited. I followed her, heels clacking against the stone floor. I tugged at my collar as we walked and pulled my skirt up just a tad. If I wasn't allowed to expose some cleavage, I might as well show off my legs. Otherwise I'd just look like, well, a complete and utter prude. Like how Cissy looked right now.

Speaking of Cissy, she'd been keeping a step or two ahead of me as we walked, her body radiating disapproval. Sighing, I tried to figure out what was wrong.

"Who shoved a stick up your ass, Cis?" I murmured, nodding as we began to pass other students. They stared at me, gawking at the bruise on my face. I hoisted my skirt up again. It now rivaled the day of the 1st year skirt. Of course, no one would notice with this huge black splotch on my face.

She sniffed. "Please. There is nothing wrong with me." Her tone was stiff and clipped, a sure indicator that something was wrong. Her pace picked up as well. I trotted, trying to keep up with her while not letting my skirt fly up.

"Really Cis, you can do better than that. I know something's up. Now tell me what." We were getting close to the Great Hall. I wondered lazily whether anyone would notice if I flashed them. Probably not. Because facial bruising was just that much more interesting.

"Why should I tell you anything, Aria, when you don't return the favor?" Cissy spat quietly.

My eyes widened in surprise. Rarely was Cissy so riled up. And over me… Oh. That. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about talking to Regulus. It was kind of a last ditch effort and I didn't want you to get in trouble too if it went wrong, like, well it did. Please, don't be mad." I gave her my best cute-puppy face, but the bruise kind of spoiled the effect.

Cissy raised an eyebrow. "You know, sometimes you are just like my cousin. Always doing stupid things without thinking it through first.

"Well, hopefully he's thinking right now," I muttered, knowing I had gotten all the forgiveness I was going to get.

We pushed into the Great Hall. There seemed to be quite a commotion at the front of the room. The teachers were all crowded around, faces contorted in shock and anger. There was a mass of students swarming too. I went on my tiptoes, trying to see. Nothing. Why was I so damn short? I mean, really? Really?

"What is it?" Cissy whispered. Yes, like I could actually see. Maybe I could if I wasn't SO DAMN SHORT.

I shrugged and grabbed the shirt a of a random third year boy. "What's going on?" I asked. To my dismay, he was actually taller than I was. Already.

The kid gazed down at me in worship. He didn't seem to notice the bruise. I think he might've liked the buttons undone, though. "They say Sirius Black was beating up Lucius Malfoy."

I released the kid in shock. "What?" I hissed, furious in all of two seconds.

Side note: I really had been keeping my emotions pent up for too long again. I felt like I was about to erupt like Mount Fiji or something. That is, if Mount Fiji is even a volcano. Is it? It sounds like a volcano. Volcanoes should just be called volcano instead of this mount crap. Seriously.

The kid gulped and eyed my legs. Finally. "Yeah, they're up there right now. McGonagall's letting him have it."

I narrowed my eyes. "Oh, McGonagall is nothing compared to what I'll do when I get a hold of him." I stalked murderously towards the huddle, Cissy on my heels. The other kids parted like the Red Sea to let me in. It was like I already had girlfriend rights or something.

Right in the center of the circle, Sirius stood defiantly, a bruise shading the left side of his jaw. McGonagall was right in front of him, telling him off with all she had. I had never seen her so worked up before, not even when I told her that some fishnet stockings and a pair of spiked heels would do great for her secret fantasy life as a stripper. Off to the side, my cousin was sitting, glaring at Sirius as Madame Pomfrey tended his injuries.

Strands of hair had come undone from McGonagall's bun as she yelled at Sirius. "By all rights, I should pull you from the Gryffindor Quidditch team!"

Sirius's face twisted in horror. He obviously hadn't thought about that before he went all gangster and tried to take Lucius down. "You wouldn't, Professor!"

"I just might!" McGonagall snarled, disregarding the fact that this was possibly the first time he'd ever called her Professor.

Dumbledore stepped forward imperiously and immediately everyone fell silent. "I would like to speak to Mr. Black alone. In my office, if you will." He swept off, obviously expecting Sirius to follow.

Sirius scanned the crowd until his eyes met mine. He strode quickly in my direction and shoved a note discreetly into my hand before following the Headmaster out. Whispers trailed in his wake.

Turning away from prying eyes, I slowly unraveled the note.

_Aria,_

_ Please meet me in the gardens after hours tonight._

_ Sirius_

I pursed my lips and crumpled the note. Like hell I would.

…

Instead of sneaking out to see Sirius, I got to spend some nice quality time with Lucius. I'd been assigned the task of caring for him. Lucky me.

We reclined on the center sofa in the Slytherin Common Room. He was already on his second glass of vodka. I sipped at my own glass of the harsh liquor politely. The Slytherin Common Room was the not the safest place to get drunk if you were any of the following.

Female

Attractive

Gryffindor

A blood traitor

Plotting against their evil plans

"So." Lucius leveled his cold, steel eyes with mine. "Did you ask him to do it?"

I didn't bother feigning ignorance like normal. "Please." I shot him a condescending look, knowing that he would simply find it amusing. "I'm not that dumb, contrary to popular opinion around here."

He chuckled, and for once it was not a frightening sound. "Oh, I know. You actually are quite intelligent. You just don't utilize it very well."

"Oh?" I didn't know what else to say. I'd been quite sure that Lucius thought I was the most idiotic creature to walk the planet.

Lucius took another gulp of vodka. "Do you remember when we were little and we used to have all our lessons together?"

"Yeah," I said, barely loud enough to hear. I had practically lived at Malfoy Manor. In the mornings, Lucius and I shared our academic tutors and in the afternoons we had all our cultural lessons with the rest of the pureblood children of our class.

Lucius's eyes seemed to be gazing directly into the far away past. "I remember those lessons. You grasped things even faster than I did. Even here, at school, you're probably one of the brightest people here. You have intelligence. You just don't use it."

I didn't know how to handle this unexpected praise. Lucius had spent most of his life from age ten trying to knock me down, prove his superiority. This wasn't the Lucius I knew. "How drunk are you?" I reached out to feel his forehead. Maybe he had a fever or something.

He grabbed my wrist with a crushing strength. "You know what I like about you, Aria?"

I shook my head. "I was rather under the impression that you hated my guts, actually."

Lucius snorted. "Well, of course I do. You're a Gryffindor."

"Yes." I answered carefully. "I am."

"But what I like about you, Aria," Lucius rambled, "is that no matter what, you still like me. You couldn't hate me if you tried. You're incapable of it. So no matter how bad I am in your eyes, you still love me. I even strangled you in the hall way yesterday and here you are, with absolutely no resentment."

"That isn't true." I didn't like the portrait he was painting. "I do resent it. You shouldn't have hurt me. It's not right for you to do something like that."

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Oh, please Aria. You were brought up with your mother hitting you at every turn. You may not think it's right, but you don't resent _me_ for it."

I shifted where I was sitting. "I don't forgive you. And I won't if you do worse things." This was so surreal, having this conversation with my cousin. I'd never imagined this ever happening.

Lucius waved for another glass of vodka. "You may not forgive me, and you may not condone it, but you can't help loving me. 'Cause you still see me as something of an older brother. You still see me like you did when we were kids."

I opened my mouth to protest, to deny all this about myself, but he cut me off. "Do you love Black?"

The sudden shift in conversation disoriented me. I bit my lip. "I don't think so. But what-"

Lucius's eyes slid shut. "If you marry him, I'll never speak to you again," he declared, "Once you are married, you've got to choose. You can't keep flip-flopping back and forth." His words slurred together. "And don't give me that bullshit about being on our side. I'll never believe it. You're a bloody Gryff, for Merlin's sake."

My heart twisted in my chest. I wanted this conversation over and done. I'd thought that I could hide myself perfectly in this world, that Lucius would never know the difference. Obviously, I hadn't been using my head.

"Shh…" I quieted him. "Sleep, cousin. Sleep, Lucius," I chanted as I stroked his hair and eased his head down on a pillow. "Sleep."

Looking at his face, so close to sleeping, I had to accept he was right. I didn't understand how I could love this warped, sick person so unconditionally, but I did. He would always be my cousin, the boy who'd taught me how climb the old oak in the Malfoy's forest and showed me the clearing where the unicorns stayed. And because of that…

"Aria," he muttered, barely awake.

"Yes?" I asked softly, leaning down to hear.

"I'll be sorry to lose you," he breathed, breath ripe with alcohol, as he finally fell asleep.

I left him there on the sofa, went up to Cissy's room, and cried myself to sleep.

…

As I walked down the hall on my way to lunch the next day, an arm reached out and yanked me into an empty classroom.

Immediately assuming the worst, I began to kick and scratch and claw at my abductor. After all, it could be a Death Eater come to kill me. Or Lucius, who wanted me to forget what he had drunkenly told me last night. Or Maxie and Amelia, to finally punish me for Sirius's affection. Or a clown, to torment me with its ugly face. Or Slughorn, to slobber on me. Or-

"What the hell?" I growled as I saw Sirius's face attached to the arm. I was already pissed off today as a consequence of my little heart-to-heart with Lucius. Especially since he'd reverted to his usual nasty self today.

Sirius pouted at me, and for once I didn't notice how completely hot he was. "You didn't meet me in the gardens last night."

"Sorry. I was too busy tending my wounded cousin for social calls," I snapped at him, trying to move out the door. If I stayed much longer, I would be charged with murder.

Sirius slammed his hand against the door, hard. His expression had transformed from put out to frustrated. "What, so now you're taking his side?"

I spun around to hiss at him. "You! You expected me to side with you when you decide to mercilessly pummel my cousin for Merlin knows what reason! I can't believe you! The nerve! I-"

Sirius cut off my rant midstream. "So you would rather I just let him use you as a punching bag and get away scot-free?"

I gaped at him for a moment. Sometimes I forgot how he could see through me in a flash, the way not even James or Cissy could. Seriously, did he have special Aria-minding-reading powers? Maybe there had been some class on it while I was passed out, which explained why everyone was suddenly invading my thoughts. Maybe the psychic bunnies had taken over and were now trying to tame me, the lone un-possessed human left. Maybe-

"W-w-what do you mean?" I stammered, desperately trying to cover my tracks.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Please. Don't even try that bull shit on me." For a moment, I glimpsed an eerie resemblance between my cousin and Sirius. His silver eyes bored into mine and looked altogether too much like the steel eyes from last night, glowing with conviction and life.

I twisted my hands. "Fine. But it doesn't justify what you did."

"Really?" Sirius asked sarcastically. "This doesn't justify it?" Before I could stop him, he reached out and tore open the first three buttons of my shirt, exposing the handprint on my neck. The move was almost violent and as I gazed almost wordlessly up at Sirius, his face shining with pent up energy, I felt a strange thrill of fear.

Maybe this was the test I'd been wanting. He'd gotten himself into a crap load of trouble just to get revenge for me. No one had ever stood up for me like that before. No one had ever said outright that hitting me was wrong and then done something about it. If that wasn't proof of his love, what was?

It was wrong, I knew. He'd gone about it the wrong way. An eye for an eye wasn't the right choice, ever. But he'd done what he'd thought best, what he knew how to do, and he'd done it for me.

His face softened as he trailed his fingers down my throat, tracing the mark. "Does it hurt?" he whispered.

I gave a small, choked laugh. "It's a bruise. What'd you think?"

Bashful, Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry Aria. I should've asked you or something. It was stupid and impulsive."

"Yes it was," I agreed. "But I've done my fair share of stupid and impulsive things as well."

He grinned at me, relieved, and swept me into a hug. "I really am sorry." His breath ruffled my hair.

I breathed in the smell of him. "Okay, just don't do it again," I scolded jokingly, as I patted his back comfortingly.

"And I'm sorry for this too," he murmured and ducked down to press his lips against my neck.

I gasped and my head fell back automatically as his lips caressed my bruised skin. My eyes slid shut and my hand wove into his hair as he moved down my neck. This was bliss, relief from weeks of stress. I moaned quietly as he nipped just below my ear.

When he released me, for the first time, I didn't run away. Secretly, I was kind of proud of myself for it. And proud of not rambling in my head during the whole thing. It had been semi-impossible anyway. Sirius made me mindless.

Breathing heavily, I stared at him, awaiting an explanation.

He looked at me sheepishly. "Sorry. It's been a while since I saw you. I missed you."

I rolled my eyes. "That's a pathetic excuse."

He smirked. "Okay. You look dead sexy when you're angry and I've been wanting to snog you since you came in."

"I was pulled in. I did not willingly come in," I corrected him.

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Slowly, I rebuttoned the collar of my shirt. "It doesn't mean anything," I informed him.

He smirked at me, again. "Sure, sure."

I rubbed at my neck, trying to look at it. Needless to say, I wasn't successful. "I better not have any hickeys."

Snorting, Sirius shook his head. "You're concerned about hickeys right now? Out of all the things in the world, hickeys?"

I shrugged and gave him my own smirk. "Appearance first." I smoothed my uniform. "By the way, exactly how much trouble are you in?"

Sirius reached over and fixed my crumpled collar. "I explained to Dumbledore and he let me off light. I have detention every Tuesday and Wednesday until Christmas break."

I wrinkled my nose. "Why do you always get away with everything?"

He winked roguishly at me. "Because I'm so incredibly handsome, love."

I snorted. "You wish."

Rolling his eyes, he yanked open the door. "See you, love."

I winked and wiggled my fingers. " 'Ta, Black." I took a few steps away and then turned back. "Sirius?"

He was leaning against the door. "Yes?"

"Don't get used to it."

He let out a full-blown burst of laughter. "I wouldn't dream of it, love."

When I checked my neck that night, I was surprised how good it felt to see a small mark at the meeting of my neck and collarbone left behind from Sirius's mouth.

…

The weeks flew by and the situation with Alec only got worse. Alec had convinced his parents to let him spend some time with a friend in the countryside in the hopes that the Death Eaters would lose him, but they showed up only a week later. The Slytherin purists became increasingly close-mouthed about anything to do with this little hunt of theirs and Regulus continually ignored Nyx.

Our plans were all failing fast. And we couldn't do anything.

It was Alec's letter that convinced me desperate action was needed fast. On December 2nd, Nyx received a letter.

_Nyx,_

_ I'm really worried. I don't feel safe anymore. Your last letter had been opened and resealed. I feel constantly watched. They're always here._

_ Please, Nyx, I'm going insane. Come and see me or something. Get me away from here!_

_ Love you,_

_ Alec_

"We need to do something," I said urgently. "Now."

"What _can_ we do, Aria?" Nyx asked hopelessly. "I can't get out. He can't get away. What am I supposed to do?"

"Tell Dumbledore," I replied instantly.

"No!" Cissy and Nyx shouted in unison, completely united on this front.

I threw my hands up in the air. "That's practically giving up!"

Cissy shot me a dirty look as she stroked a distraught Nyx's back. "Don't worry, Nyx. We'll work something out."

That night, none of us slept. I laid in my bed and thought. Contemplated. Scrutinized. Meditated. Pondered. Pensee. Denken. Pensamiento. Tanke. Pensiero. Which is all a fancy way of saying that I figured out there was absolutely no fucking way we could get out of this alone.

Regardless of what Cissy or Nyx wanted, we needed help. We needed Dumbledore.

No matter what, the next day, I would tell Dumbledore. I would.

…

I woke up, the heavy, cold feeling of a secret weighing me down. I avoided Cissy and Nyx's eyes as I hurriedly dressed. After breakfast, I would go to Dumbledore. I couldn't wait any longer. The time was now.

At breakfast, we discussed our options. I spoke carefully, unwilling to let _this_ slip.

In the middle of eating, our owls came. I glanced up to see only Cissy's regular owl, bearing the Daily Prophet. I ignored it, digging into my eggs.

Suddenly, I heard Cissy's quick intake of breath. "Merlin. Oh god."

Instantly, my head was up, hand reaching over to grasp Cissy's arm. Nyx sat trembling by my side. "What is it, Cissy? What's happened?" I asked in a whisper.

Wordlessly, she displayed the cover page.

'MUGGLE TEEN KILLED BY DEATH EATERS!'

Below was Alec's face.

I barely had time to register the words when the screaming started.

…

**Do you hate me?**

**Cliffhanger! Rawr!**

**I'll try to write fast! I will!**

**Review, please!**

**Thanks for reading and I love you all!**


	32. Death by Cartwheels

**Whoot! How fast was that! I am on a role!**

**The sad thing is that I'm on vacation right now in Switzerland. So I'll keep writing things down by hand and try to type 'em up fast!**

**One thing I really hope that I did with this chap is accurately portrayed how Aria would deal with this loss. I think I did. Basically… erratically. Because that's how she is.**

**I don't think it's my finest writing… but hopefully it's enjoyable!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Killing off a character does not make me J.K. Rowling.**

…

The screaming seemed to go on for ages. It was one long, unbroken stream of sound. I wanted to move, wanted to cover my ears or cower, but I couldn't do that. I couldn't move at all. I was completely and utterly shocked.

I had never imagined that Nyx could make that sort of sound. Or that her face could look so terribly open and desolate. That she could wail like an animal with tears cascading down her cheeks. Or that she could tear out her hair in huge chunks with hands like claws. That her eyes could be taken over by grief.

"Nyx!" My eyes flew to Cissy, who was doing her best to calm Nyx before she made a scene. But it was far too late for that. The eyes of all of Hogwarts were on us.

Without even realizing what I was doing, I stood up. I ghosted over to Nyx's side, unsure what I meant to do, until my arms wrapped around her. And I began crying too.

I was puzzled, bewildered, confused and turned around. I had no idea what I was doing. But it all seemed okay when Nyx reached out to hug me back, her arms clinging to me like I was the only thing keeping her from falling.

I heard the clack of shoes as the teachers rushed over. I heard the worried murmurs of the staff, the gossipy whispers of students. I heard the nearby Slytherins scooting away, as if we had some deadly disease. I heard Lucius come over and pull Cissy away from us. I heard her trying to come back.

I felt a hand on my back. "Miss Aria." Dumbledore. "What has happened?"

I looked up at him, still clinging to Nyx and silently crying. His eyes were grave as they met mine. I wet my lips and tried to speak, but no sound came out. I couldn't answer.

"Sir." Cissy. "Sir, I…" She looked at us and, for a moment, I could see tears in her eyes too. "The Muggle. The one killed by Death Eaters. He was… Nyx, she… They…" She glanced back at my cousin, but he made no move to stop her. "They were romantically involved, sir."

The sounds that the others made now… shocked sounds, scandalized, whispering, gossiping, turning this all into a sick rumor instead of a tragedy. I felt the room caving in on us and I pulled Nyx closer. She had to be shielded from this. She couldn't hear what they were saying now.

I cleared my throat and eyes went back to me. "If you would, Professor," I spoke to Dumbledore, and him alone. "If you would, can I take Nyx back to my dorm? I think that she needs to… be away from this all."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "Your dorm?"

I nodded. "In Gryffindor, yes. It might be easier for her to be around people she doesn't know as well."

I knew that Dumbledore knew my real meaning: that Slytherins would devour her if she stayed there. He inclined his head. "Permission granted."

I gently tried to tug Nyx to her feet, but she was much bigger than me and I could barely move her. I gritted my teeth and pulled… And was finally able to move her when I felt another person join in. I glanced over and saw Cissy. Her eyes glinted at me and I saw what she intended to do.

"Are you sure?" I asked her out loud, knowing that I would sound insane and not caring.

She blinked at me. "Positive," she answered briskly, her voice calm and steady even now.

Together, we walked Nyx out of the Great Hall. To our relief, no one followed as we lugged Nyx sobbing body up the many flights of stairs and down the corridors that led to the Gryffindor Common Room. When we reached the Fat Lady, I realized I didn't know the password. It was Cissy who whispered, "Manticore." The portrait swung open, for once not saying a thing, and I felt almost a culture shock at seeing the warmth and coziness of the room.

We pulled Nyx in, carried her up the stairs and dumped her on my bed. Then, Cissy and I turned to each other, fell into each other's arms and cried.

…

When we had cried all we could, we left Nyx alone in the room. She needed solitude, to grieve and mourn without eyes watching. We walked silently down to the Common Room. It was still the morning, so no one was there, luckily. I wasn't looking forward to dealing with the Gryffs angry about having snakes in their midst.

Cissy rubbed her eyes. "If we're going to stay here for a while, we'll need our stuff."

I bobbed my head in agreement. "Yeah." Yet neither of us made a move to go get it. We both knew this meant braving the Slytherin Common Room, where there were sure to be people waiting.

I sighed. "Might as well go now. There'll be less people." I trudged toward the portrait hole, exhausted physically and mentally.

Just as I was leaving, I heard Cissy exhale and walk towards me. I turned around to look at her. Even after crying, she still looked as flawless and composed as ever. There had to be some trick to it, something I had yet to learn.

"You were right," she admitted softly. "We should have gone to Dumbledore. It would have been worth it, in the end."

"Yes. It would have." I hung my head. "I was going to go. After breakfast. I thought… that if I didn't…"

"Oh." Cissy sucked in a breath. "You were so close. If only…"

"Yeah. If only." I couldn't help feeling it was my fault. If only I'd gone a bit sooner. Stood up to Cissy and Nyx before this. If only…

Cissy walked to my side and hugged me. "Thank you for giving up you life this past month. For her. And me. And thank you for letting us stay here."

"Of course." I looked at her wide-eyed. "What else could I have done?"

Cissy stroked my hair once and then pulled away. "You could've said no."

"No." I smiled sadly. "I couldn't." And then I exited the warm common room, to head back down to the chilly dungeons.

…

I walked into the Slytherin Common Room more apprehensive than I had ever been. I had known, from the minute I walked away from Gryffindor, exactly what I would find here. And I was not disappointed.

"Aria." His voice was low and silky, everything I hated. He was lounging on the center sofa, and I winced as I thought of the last time we'd been there. He crooked his finger at me. "Come over here."

"No." I didn't move. "Why should I? I have no motivation anymore."

He uncoiled from the sofa, standing to look at me dead on. "I could always have some of my friends meet up with one of your little Gryffs in the corridor… You never know, something… unfortunate might happen."

I gritted my teeth. "Fuck you, Lucius."

His lips curled upwards into a twisted smile. "Now, that is not very nice language. Must I remind you of your place _again_?"

I thrust my chin out defiantly. "Why don't you just say what you want to say and let me get my stuff and leave?"

"Alright," he agreed in an almost amiable voice. He sauntered slowly towards me. He moved in, invading my personal space, but I held my ground. "He deserved it," he hissed in my ear. "In the end, he cowered and begged for mercy. He was willing to do just about anything. You should have seen him… writhing on the ground like a dog. It took hours to finish him off, but he _suffered._ And-"

I slapped him hard across the face.

We both froze, listening to the sound of flesh hitting flesh ring around the room. I stared at my hand, a traitor to my own body. Why had I done that? Lucius's eyes were equally shocked, startled out of their sick state until he looked just like any other teenage boy. In all of our years together, whatever he had done to me, I had never fought before. I had never hit him back.

He stepped away. "You've changed," he accused, sounding like a toddler who'd lost their favorite plaything. "You're not the same anymore."

"I always knew it wasn't right," I stated, like I was talking about the weather. "But I was used to it. And you're right. I still love you." His eyes flickered in surprise at this admittance.

"Then…?"

I leaned in, our faces inches apart, and let him see the disgust and fury that had been seething in my heart. "But that doesn't mean I can't hate you all the same."

I swept by him while he was still in shock, head held high. I used magic to pack our suitcases, and by the time I left, Lucius was gone.

…

Cissy and I spent the rest of the school day on a couch in the Common Room. No one came in at all, which was probably a result of my request to Dumbledore that morning. No doubt the lions were steering clear of the snakes as long as they could.

Cissy shook her head, a wry grin on her face. "I still can't believe you slapped him."

I gazed down at my right hand. "Me either."

She looked up at the ceiling. "I've been wanting to do that for years."

"Me too."

There was silence as we thought about it. I shifted restlessly.

"Cissy?"

She turned towards me. "Yes?"

Tilting my head, I stared at her. "When was the last time you really, truly laughed?"

Her eyes widened slightly. "I can't remember. Why?"

I looked down at my nails. "I think we need to. Laugh."

"Why?"

I gazed her surprised. "Well… laughing is good for you."

She shrugged. "I don't normally laugh much. Only when I'm with you, usually."

I put my hands on my hips. "Well, that's just sad."

Cissy's face softened. "I know that this whole thing has been hard on you, Ari, but-"

I shook my head frantically. "Can we just not? I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to think about it. I want to think about something happy."

We both sat for moment. Then Cissy giggled. My head shot up to look at her. It was such a rare sound nowadays.

"Well, how about the fact that you _still_ can't do a cartwheel? Do you remember the last time you tried?" She giggled again, her face lighting up.

I smiled at the memory. "Yeah. It was the summer of our third year. I tried to show everyone and I fell into the pond instead."

Cissy tossed her hair back. "Do you feel like giving that cartwheel another try?"

…

We changed into shorts, of course. We weren't about to do cartwheels in skirts. 'Cause people would definitely notice that.

We trekked out to the Quidditch pitch, reasoning that I was much less likely to break any inanimate objects there. Or myself.

"Okay." Cissy was wearing my clothing, because she didn't own any shorts. Or a T-shirt. Or sneakers, for that matter. All her clothes were incredibly formal. My clothes looked funny on her. The T-shirt was too short and too big. The same for the shorts. And seeing Cissy with her hair up in a sloppy ponytail was like seeing a horse with the back end of a hippo.

She got into position, her face completely focused. And then she executed possibly the most perfect cartwheel I'd ever seen, her limps straight and her movements precise. She finished like a gymnast, with her arms up and foot pointed. "There," she breathed. "That is how you do a cartwheel."

I clapped. "Well, that's great, but I still have no idea how to do one."

Cissy rolled her eyes. "Well, duh you don't."

I stared at her. "Cissy… did you just say… 'duh'?"

"Duuuuuh." She dragged it out this time. "What's wrong with me saying 'duh'?"

I tried to explain, moving my hands in completely useless gestures. "You always talk all proper-like. Like how a dictionary would talk if a dictionary _could_ talk."

"But it can't." She obviously wasn't getting the point.

"But if it _could…_" She just stared. I threw my arms up. "I give up. Whatever. Teach me this cartwheel nonsense."

"Okay." Cissy came to stand behind me. "First, point your right foot out in front of you."

I pointed. "Done."

"Then raise your arms above your head. Yes, like that. Then, take your back foot off the ground."

I balanced uneasily on my front foot. "Now what?"

Cissy bit her lip. "Now you kind of… throw yourself forward."

"What?" I brought both feet back to earth. "Uh-uh. No way."

"Aria."

"For someone like me, who's not exactly coordinated? Not happening."

"Aria."

"I mean, seriously, do you even realize how dangerous that is? I could kill myself."

"Aria!"

"I could crack my head open and bleed all over the ground and then you'd be sorry and-"

"ARIA!"

I shut up and looked at Cissy. She took a deep breath. "Just do the damn cartwheel already."

I sniffed. "If I die, I'm blaming you."

"Sure, whatever. Go." She gestured towards the ground.

I took a deep breath. Pointed my foot. Put my arms up. Took my back foot off the ground. Threw myself forward.

And landed on my head.

"OWWWWWW!" I wailed, wrapping my arms around my head. "FUUUUCK! SHIT! DAMN! CRAP!"

Cissy rushed to my side. "Aria, are you okay?"

I waited a moment and then launched myself at her. Surprised, she fell backwards with a huff. And I began tickling her.

"AAAAAAH! AARRRI!" Cissy screamed with laughter as I mercilessly tickled her.

"I took you I'd blame you!" I forced out between bursts of laughter.

"STOOOP! PLLLEASE!" She begged as she began crying tears of laughter.

"Fine." I rolled off of her. I held my hands out in front of me as she recovered. "No get backs?"

She shook her head once, drained. "No, you're fine."

"Good." I laid down cautiously beside her. "That was fun."

She nodded. "You still suck at cartwheels."

I grinned. "Yeah, I know."

We just laid there, staring at the sky, until the sun began setting and we had to head in.

…

When we got back upstairs, the Gryffindors were back. And very confused.

Once we were in the Common Room, Cissy made a beeline for my dorm. Some combination of embarrassment over her stress, fear of the evil lions, and desire to shower off the dirt probably motivated her. And, of course, she had no qualms with leaving me alone with my own kind.

Self consciously, I pushed a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "Hi," I said to the room at the large. They were all watching me like I was a freaking Blast Ended Skrewt or something. I gave a little wave when they didn't react and headed for my dorm.

"Aria!" I froze. Only a few steps more to my dorm. Damn. Slowly, I pivoted, putting on a cheery smile.

"Hey!" I smiled tensely at Kristy, who was striding towards me, concern evident on her face. "What's up? Nice to see you! Would love to catch up but I really gotta-"

"What the hell is going on, Ari?" James too? Really? Did they really have to tag-team me like this? I thought they were my friends! Friends do not tag-team friends!

"Nothing much, you know, the usual." I inched away from them, trying to keep the smile on my face. Damn, I was crap at this.

My friends exchanged Looks. Lily took another step towards me. "Aria, we are really concerned about you. We want to help however we can."

I nodded hurriedly. "Thanks. Now if you'll just let me-"

"Why are you running away?" Rayne asked, frustrated. "Why won't you talk to us?"

I glanced back at the girl's staircase. "You know, just, isn't much to-"

"Why the hell are you lying through your teeth like this Ari? Please, we need to know what's happening!" Kristy implored me, edging closer.

I was completely trapped. There was only one thing to do. I darted for the girl's stairway.

"Oh no you don't!" Lily latched onto my arm, pulling me back.

"Let me go!" I whined, tugging away from her.

"Aria, I-"

"Stop!"

Lily's head snapped up to look at this newcomer. "Sirius?" she questioned.

His eyes were solemn as they looked at me. I ducked my head. I could not stand his pity. "Let her go, Lily. She'll tell you when she wants."

"I just-" Lily started to defend herself, but Sirius cut her off.

"I understand what you were trying to do, Lily, but this isn't the time. Let her go."

Reluctantly Lily released me. I bolted for the stairway. I scrambled up the first couple of stairs before turning to look at Sirius. "Thanks," I muttered. It was absurd that now Sirius Black was defending me from my friends. And since when did he know more about the situation than James or Lily did?

He nodded, his mouth hinting at a smile as I turned and ran up to my dorm.

…

"She won't eat," Cissy informed me expressionlessly. It was nine o'clock and everyone was in their dorms. Which meant that Lily, Rayne and Kristy were sitting on Lily's bed, staring.

We'd been trying to feed Nyx, who was a huddled mess on my bed. But she was having none of it.

I sighed. "Just leave the food there, I guess. She'll eat when she needs to." I tried not to look at my Gryff friends.

Cissy nodded, placing the food on the bedside table with a clatter. She glanced around the room, arms crossed across her matronly nightgown. "Where exactly am I going to sleep?"

I scratched my head, yawning. There were exactly four beds and six people. And Nyx definitely had my bed… "You could try getting in with Nyx. It might be comforting for her to know someone's there," I suggested, trying to keep my eyes open. I hadn't been sleeping much, after all. I just needed to get to bed before all the weirdness in my head started coming out of my mouth.

Cissy ignored my suggestion. "Perhaps we can both sleep on the floor?"

I yawned. "No way. You stay with Nyx. I'll find somewhere else to sleep."

Cissy's lips turned down in disapproval. "Fine. But get to bed soon. You're getting loopy. I can tell."

I grinned lazily at her. "Sure thing Cis."

She slid in beside Nyx, eyes falling shut immediately. I set myself to scanning the room for other possible sleeping areas.

A small hand fell on my arm. "Ari?"

I looked reluctantly behind me to see Rayne. "Yeah?" I asked softly, turning to face her.

She kept her eyes trained on the ground. "We really would like to know what's going on. It doesn't have to be now… but sometime. Please?"

I opened my mouth to say something along the lines of 'that's really sweet, but will you fuck off now?' Fortunately, I was cut off.

"Just do it Ari. Now."

I turned around to look at Cissy, whose hair looked almost silver in the lamplight. I hesitated a moment then gave in.

"Fine," I huffed. I turned to my friends. "Follow me." And I swept out the door.

Three pairs of feet padded behind me. "Ari?" Lily questioned cautiously, "Where exactly are we going?"

We reached the Common Room and I continued wordlessly up the Boy's Dorm stairs. Someone sucked in a breath.

"What are you doing?" Lily hissed.

I turned to look at the three of them, huddled at the bottom of the stairs. "I'm not doing this explanation twice. And I figured the boys might like to hear it as well."

Rayne's eyebrows scrunched in worry. "And you're going to see them in _that_?"

I glanced down at my cami and shorts. "Sure. Why not? I still have my bra on and everything." I grinned at their slightly scandalized faces. Shocking people is always such fun. I'm a veritable master at it, trained from infancy. Circumstances, you know. My very personality is shocking to some people.

Kristy was the first to mount the stairs after me. She shrugged as she reached my side. "Why the hell not?"

Ever so slowly, Lily and Rayne came up as well.

I climbed up to the top room, the 7th year boys. This time, I politely knocked.

The door swung open almost instantly. A shirtless James's eyes became the size of saucers as he took us in. "Ari?"

I pushed past him mildly, leaving Lily to gape as his abs in peace. "Evening."

The others trailed after to me, into the Marauders' mess of a room. Remus jumped out of his bed, hair sticking literally straight up. Sirius didn't bother, lounging calmly on his bed, just as shirtless as James was. Pettigrew was blissfully fully clothed.

I clambered up onto Sirius's bed, perching on the edge and swinging my legs. Merlin, I really was short. I mean, what kind of seventeen year old can't touch the floor while sitting on a bed? Sure, it was a high bed, but still! The only others would goblins or vertically challenged people like Professor Flitwick (what ever you call those sorts of people). Perhaps I was really a midget and everyone had been too kind to tell me. What was the criterion for midget-hood anyway?

Ahem. Anyway.

James tugged on his shirt, his face bright red. Lily was determinedly not looking, her face rivaling his for 'most like a tomato'. Kristy looked at me curiously. "Why are you sitting on Sirius's bed, Ari?"

I shrugged. "Where else?"

She made a show of looking around the room. I rolled my eyes. "Well, there was no way in hell I was going to sit on that floor. Sitting on either James's or Remus's bed would be an affront to their respective girlfriend. And Pettigrew… well, need I say more?"

Kristy wrinkled her nose. "Where am _I_ going to sit then?"

I gave a huge grin. "On the floor."

She gave me the finger.

Lily and Rayne did end up settling on their boyfriends' beds. James and Lily on completely opposite sides.

James ruffled his hair. "So, you've come to tell us what's going on, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah." I flashed a quick look back at Sirius, who was still laying down, his arms behind his head. His eyes locked with mine, silently giving me the reassurance I needed. I took a deep breath.

"I'm only going to tell this once, so don't interrupt me or anything. It's a long story too, so I'm sorry if you wanted to sleep. But it's kind of now or never." I inhaled again. And began.

…

When all the words were out and my voice was spent, it was very late indeed. Lily and James were cuddling. Rayne and Remus had separated to listen to me. Pettigrew was half-asleep, and sprawling like a creep. Kristy was in some weird sort of trance. And somewhere during the story, Sirius had sat up and grabbed my hand. I was peering at our entwined hands now, as if there was some secret in them.

"Wow," Lily whispered. "God, Ari, I'm sorry."

I didn't bother responding. Even just telling the story had my heart aching for Nyx.

James's voice was quiet and level. "What was he like Ari?"

I took a shaky breath, and looked up at the ceiling, calling back my memories. "When we first met him… he had this ridiculous mohawk. It was the funniest darn thing ever on him, because he was so tall, and skinny, and white, and the whole thing just looked hysterical on him. He was wearing this t-shirt for some weird band and… none of us thought he was attractive or anything. The exact opposite. But he came over and asked Nyx for a dance with this confidence… She just couldn't say no… And then… that was that."

"I remember that he loved write. He wrote these odd little poems… Nyx loved them. Thought they were the most romantic things ever. And he loved black liquorice ice cream… even though it was the nastiest thing ever. He told me once that he used to dream about magic as a kid… thought it was just the neatest thing ever. And he was always super social. Stick him in a room with a bunch of complete strangers and he'd have made lifelong friends in minutes. He was super smart too. Took all these advanced courses at his school. And he loved Nyx more than life itself."

I couldn't help it. My eyes were swimming with tears all over again. I hunched over, trying to keep them in.

A warm hand placed itself soothingly on my back. "It's okay, Rs. Just let it out."

And then I was sobbing, blubbering, clinging to Sirius's shoulders as I cried, much harder than this morning. I wrapped my arms around him and clung for dear life. He hugged me back, petting my hair and back and whispering words that made no sense in my ear.

It took a while, but I finally got it all out. I exhaled shakily and relaxed against Sirius's chest, not even caring about how it looked.

I heard a low whistle from James behind me. "You knew the whole time, didn't you mate?"

I felt Sirius's neck move as he nodded. "Yeah. Not in that detail. But the basic concept."

"Why…" Kristy question trailed off, but I knew what she was asking.

"Because he would get it," I answered, mouth moving against his skin as I spoke. I felt him shiver slightly and smirked.

"What?" Lily. Confused.

Unwillingly, I pushed away from Sirius, turning to face the rest of the room. "I only told him because I knew he'd get it. Because he comes from the same place." I didn't even have to look at Sirius's face to know he was upset to have been loped in with the Slytherins. I rolled my eyes. "Like it or not Black, you come from a Slytherin family. You were raised with this kind of thing. You get it."

Grudgingly, he took my hand again. "Fine. I get it."

Remus stared quietly at the hand. "Is there something we should know?"

I grimaced. "Please. Just because we are actually good-ish friends does _not_ mean that anything romantic has happened."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. I huffed in displeasure. "Okay, fine. Something did happen once. But I _told_ you that it didn't mean anything."

Judging by the height of their eyebrows, no one believed me.

I yawned. "I am going to bed now," I proclaimed. "And seeing as Nyx and Cissy have taken over my bed, I am staying here." I flopped back onto Sirius's bed.

"You're sleeping with Sirius?" Kristy was evidently amused.

I flipped her the finger.

"I know what this means," Sirius grumbled unhappily. He got off the bed and lumped some blankets together on the floor. "Night. Love you, Aria."

"Night, Black. Thanks for letting me exploit that love so I could have your bed!" I chirped.

Lily paused before leaving. "You two are so weird."

I yawned. Twice. "Don't I know it."

Within a minute, I was asleep.

…

Luckily, since everyone knew where I was, there was no screaming to wake me up the following morning. I had time to leisurely and lazily awaken.

Sirius was already up, and brushing his teeth. He peered at me from under half shut lids. "How are you feeling?"

I stretched, my back arching like a cat. "Much better after my crying jag yesterday." Unlike the day before, I was very aware of his shirtless-ness. I awarded him an appreciatory stare. He really was delicious.

"Glad I could be of use." He winked at me.

I hopped off his bed. Everyone else was still asleep. "I'm going to head back my dorm. Thanks for the bed." I padded over to kiss his cheek lightly.

Of course, he turned his head.

Which is how the whole thing dissolved into one big snog fest on his bed.

We'd never kissed horizontally before, so it was a whole new expierence. Soon enough, I was on my back, Sirius hovering over me as he twisted his tongue with mine. I couldn't seem to keep my hands away from his chest, reaching down to feel the small of his back and then sliding back up to pet the hair at the nape of his neck. I used my legs to pull myself closer, wrapping them around his waist like a koala. I threw my all into kissing him back.

When he moved down to my neck, I tried to shove him away. "Too… damn… early…" I gasped, squirming out of his grasp.

He sat up, eyes sparkling. "It's never too early."

I jumped off the bed again. "Normally, I would agree. However making out in a room with our sleeping friends is kind of odd. Also, I'm not even dating you."

The playfulness deserted his face. "You could be," he murmured, his voice low and seductive now.

"Tempting, but no," I replied. I frowned at him. "I wish you wouldn't kiss me. It makes me feel like I'm jerking you around."

He tilted his head to the side and smiled slightly. "Don't worry, love. I know that it's me and not you."

I pursed my lips. "Still."

He got off the bed and headed towards the bathroom. "Fine, fine. Whatever you'd like." He grinned at me over his shoulder. "See you, love."

"See you," I breathed out before racing from the room. This whole kissing thing was happening way too frequently.

Everyone was asleep in my dorm as well. Except… I counted the heads. No Nyx.

I shook Cissy awake. "Where's Nyx?" I asked as soon as her eyes were open.

She draped a hand over her eyes. "She got up in the middle of the night. Said she want to walk around or something."

"Oh." I released her. Hopefully, walking would help Nyx think things through.

From there, the day proceeded normally. Or, at least, the old normal, the before the Alec issue normal. I went down to breakfast with my friends. Cissy sat with us too, although she didn't say a word. We went to lessons. I tormented McGonagall. She probably cursed the day she agreed to take me in. I did whatever I did with Sirius. Kristy said we were flirting. He tried to hold my hand on the way to lunch and I elbowed him. I sat by James and we talked about nothing and made each other crack up. Kristy made out with Rick in the Hall. I noticed that Rayne and Remus weren't sitting that close to each other and filed that away for future study. We did homework after class, with Lily, Rayne and Remus huddled in a corner actually working and James, Sirius, and I goofing off. Pettigrew was a creeper. Kristy stuck her tongue down Rick's throat. I wondered how they didn't get some awful throat disease. We went to dinner. I sat between Sirius and Cissy, who refused to acknowledge each other. We ate.

The only weird thing is that Nyx never showed up. Cissy and I both repeatedly checked the Gryffindor dorm, but she never reappeared. It made sense, to me. If it'd been me, I would want to be alone. I would probably stake out somewhere random where no one would find me. But that didn't stop me from being concerned.

In the middle of dinner, Dumbledore swept in. He had been absent for most of the meal, oddly enough. He took his place up at his little podium and clapped for our attention.

Silence immediately fell. I looked for the trademark twinkling in his eyes and couldn't find it.

His voice was, for once, heavy with age. "I'm afraid I have some very grave news to tell you all. Nyx Loyde left the castle in the early hours of this morning and ran into the Forbidden Forest. She was found just an hour ago by Hagrid."

He paused, and then uttered the fateful words. "It would appear that she had committed suicide."

…

**I know, I know. I just keep on doing it. For those who ask, "Was this necessary?" like I did when Fred Weasley died, know this: It was.**

**Hopefully, I was able to bring a little light-hearted-ness to this chapter with the cartwheels. And I hope everyone was able to see how much closer to Sirius Aria has become. And… I hope I type this next chapter fast!**

**According to my outline, there should be exactly 40 chapters, not counting the extras. So…**

**Please, please, please REVIEW! My plot bunnies must be fed!**

**I love you all!**


	33. I Am One With the Wall

**Hey!**

**Whoot! I'm getting these chapters typed up quick! But seriously, next time I'm writing the story before publishing any of it. Soooo much easier. (I probably won't actually do that, though. I'm waaaay too lazy)**

**So we're dispensing with the annual day-of-the-week posting, I think. I don't know. I'm actually writing this on a Monday, but I won't be releasing it nearly that soon.**

**I think this is better than the last chapter, writing-wise, but still not my best work. Oh well. At least it's SOMETHING.**

**That's all, I guess. Enjoy! REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: Dear J.K.R., I wish I was you. Seriously, I do. Love, Me.**

…

There are times when it feels like the whole world is dead set on making you miserable. And there were plenty of times I felt that way as a kid. But none so much as the moments after Dumbledore's announcement.

"No," Cissy stated, her face no different than it had been before. "No, that's impossible."

I recognized the look in Dumbledore's eyes, the one that was making reality set in. Pity. "I'm afraid it is all too real, Miss Black."

Cissy shook her head, mouth set. "No. Nyx would have left a suicide note."

My mind grabbed onto this piece of logic. It was true. It was only polite and Nyx did care so for manners…

Carefully, Dumbledore reached into the folds of his robe, drawing out a square of parchment. "We found this clenched in her fist. It is addressed to you and Miss Colette. I believe you'll find all you need within." With a flick of his wand, the square flew into Cissy's outstretched palm.

She unfolded it slowly, smoothing out the creases as she went. The Hall was dead quiet as she scanned the page. She finished with a long, drawn out sigh. Her eyes lifted to meet mine, heavy with the burden of responsibility. Wordlessly, she tossed the paper to me.

Reflexively, I caught it, crumpling it in my fist. For a moment, I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to do. I stared at it blankly, before raising my eyes helplessly to Cissy.

"Read it, Aria," she prodded me gently and I remembered my basic motor skills. Stiffly, I flattened out the parchment and read.

_Dear Narcissa and Aria,_

_ Thank you so much for all you've done for me the past couple of weeks. I know you had to give up your own lives to do it and I couldn't be more grateful._

_ I hope you understand that I had to do this. I can't live in a world where Alec does not exist. I never realized how much a part of me he was… If I could go back and do everything again, I would have given my whole world up for him. And I should have. But there is no way to go back and change things. I can't get out of this; I'm dug in too deep. I refuse to marry the man responsible for Alec's death. I see only one way to end things._

_ By my own will and choice, I choose to die._

_ Thank you for your friendship, these many years,_

_ Nyx_

My fingers shook as they traced Nyx's ever-precise script. To think, this would be the last thing she ever wrote. No more essays or quizzes or secret letters to Alec. The world was left with a dead girl and a suicide note.

Swallowing, I shoved away from the table. It was all too much. I just couldn't do this. Not one shock stacked on top of another. I was never supposed to live this way. This wasn't supposed to happen to me. I needed out.

So I did what I always do when things get too hard.

I ran.

…

Everything looks different underwater. And don't you look at me and say 'duh, it's cause you're under water.' I know that, dumb-dumb.

But seriously. It's like you're looking at the world through one of those fun-house mirrors, which twist and contort everything. Under water, everything seems so slippery and far away. Distant, as if it doesn't really matter.

And sometimes, if you stay under long enough, you can almost believe that you don't come from that world. That you live under the water. As your lungs heave for air, you can begin to imagine that you only need to open your mouth to suck in water and that will sustain you. If you close your eyes, it can all be true.

That's why I always felt that drowning was the easiest way to commit suicide. All you had to do was pretend for a little too long.

…

Cissy found me. I was cold and chattering from being in the lake so long. It really wasn't warm. It never is. But I had stayed in anyways. Pretending.

I sputtered as she hauled me out of the water and onto the gritty bank. "Seriously Aria? Of all places, you choose the lake?"

I curled up into a ball, wrapping my arms around myself and propping my chin on my knees. "It seemed appropriate."

"She didn't drowned herself," Cissy told me bluntly. "It was poison, actually."

I frowned. "Where in Merlin's name did she get that?" After all, how exactly did one go about committing suicide in one of the safest places in all of Great Britain?

Cissy shrugged. "Potions cabinet, probably. I've no idea."

We sat in silence for a few minutes. I glanced at the sun. Classes would still be in session. I was ditching. Again.

Cissy scooted behind me and started combing my hair. I leaned back into her touch.

"Dumbledore gave us the day off," she murmured. "Well, us and Regulus, actually." My fists clenched automatically at the name. Cissy noticed, like she always noticed everything, and commented. "He was crying when they announced it. I don't quite know what to make of it."

"Don't make anything of it. He's just an abusive, purist asshole, that's all. Nothing more to it." I wanted to be furious at him, wanted to be angry. But I had drowned all my anger in the lake. I could barely feel anything, from my heart to my toes.

Cissy was silent for so long… I couldn't help it. I had to get it out. "I can't help feeling like… maybe I should have kept a better eye on her. Slept in my dorm. Searched when she wasn't there this morning. Maybe, if I'd been around more, she wouldn't have-"

"It's idiotic to think like that," Cissy cut me off. "She would've done it regardless. There was nothing you could've done."

I spun on her, feeling a yank as her fingers were pulled out of my hair. "How can you be so calm about it, Cissy? How can you be so sure? Just yesterday, with Alec, was that just an anomaly? 'Cause it seemed for an instant like you might actually have emotions, but evidently you don't."

She didn't react at all, just looking at me. "And does it make it easier on you, Aria, to feel that guilt?"

"Fuck no!" I slammed my hand onto the ground. "Of course it doesn't! But at least I'm feeling something. So what if it's guilt? At least… at least I'm acting like I care!"

Cissy sighed, covering her eyes with her hand. "Honestly Aria… I'm finished with the emotions thing. I can't be like you. I don't have an endless supply of feelings that I can draw up at any moment. I grieved for Alec yesterday. I felt the guilt and the anger and the sorrow. I can't do any more of that. It's too exhausting." She sniffed, almost as if she was fighting back tears, but her eyes were dry. "Besides, it's not tragic, like Alec. It's what she wanted. She is much happier dead than she would've been alive."

I gaped at her. "And that isn't tragic? It isn't tragic that she's better off dead than still living?"

"I never said that!" For a moment, her composure cracked and I saw the grief she was masking. "It's not fair, Aria, what happened to Nyx. But it happened. And, yes, I am sad that she's not here anymore. I will miss her. But I also want what's best for her. And if she thought that dying was the best choice for her, I can accept that and move on. It has nothing to do with me, or my actions. I know that. You should too."

I bit my lip. "When I was little, I always wished I could be smart like you, Cissy," I whispered softly. "You always knew the answer. It was always so simple for you. There was wrong and right and you never got confused by any of it. But I can't be you. I'm me. And I get confused."

Cissy gave a small, sad, little smile. "I know, Ari." Slowly, she pulled me in. "And it's okay to be confused sometimes. It's what makes us human."

Holding Cissy tightly, I allowed myself to grieve for Nyx, once and for all. As I held Cissy, I let Nyx go.

…

We did have the day off and we spent most of it wandering around the castle. We talked, for the first time in a long time, about lighter subjects. True, most of those involved Cissy's marriage to Lucius, which really wasn't very light at all, but compared to murder and suicide, it was looking better and better.

"Do you blame Regulus?" We were sitting in the Hogwarts kitchen. I deliberately looked away from Cissy as I asked, watching the scurrying house elves instead.

I listened to her chew as she thought. After a length, she answered, "I don't want to. I can still remember when he was a kid. Do you remember when we first befriended him?"

I gave a wistful smile. "Yeah. When we were four, at Sirius's fifth birthday. He was hiding in the corner, because Sirius had threatened to hit him if he messed up his birthday."

"You saw him hiding in the corner and got curious. I kept just telling you to leave my little shy cousin alone."

"But I just waltzed up to him and asked him why exactly he was determined to melt into the wall."

Cissy smiled fondly. "He looked so shocked. I never thought anyone's eyes could open quite that widely."

I looked down at my fingernails. "And we were inseparable until we went to Hogwarts and he had to stay behind."

The smile slid from Cissy's face. "Yes. His parents completely brainwashed him then."

I wet my lips. "I always wondered what would have happened… had we been in the same year."

Cissy gave an exasperated huff. "It's useless to imagine. We were older. That was that."

"Still…" I pushed, not quite sure why. "If we hadn't been separated…"

"Than it would be Regulus wooing you right now instead of his brother," Cissy bit out. "Both Reg and I would have been sorted into Hufflepuff and Lucius would've turned into a Muggle loving pretty boy."

I glared at her. "That wasn't nice."

She crossed her arms. "You were being stupid. We won't ever know, so what's the point?"

"I preferred you when you were being irrational yesterday," I muttered.

"Yes and see what that got me. A bucket load of tears and red eyes that wouldn't go away for hours." Cissy arched an eyebrow. "And stop thinking that I'm being cold, Ari."

I looked at her, really looked. "You are being cold. But that's just because you don't know how to deal with being hurt any other way."

Her eyes widened almost imperceptibly. I rushed on, forward into the realm that was usually hers. "You were raised to keep strong emotions under lockdown. You let go yesterday and it scared you. And this is an even greater loss. She was one of your closest friends. Now, you're dealing with it the only way you know how to."

Cissy looked away and I knew I was right. "Regardless, pretending and 'what if-ing' are foolish."

I took a sip of my pumpkin juice to keep from smirking. "Perhaps."

…

We stumbled across Regulus an hour later.

We'd been roaming the towers of Hogwarts, where there weren't any classes. The attics were fascinating, filled with relics of long ago times. We worked our way from the Storage Tower to the Old Divination Tower, which hadn't been used in ages.

We entered the very top room quietly. It was an odd mix between Madame Puddifoot's and a crow's nest. Shiny objects decorated every inch of wall space and poufy armchairs and velvet pillows cluttered the floor.

"Jeez!" I sneezed twice. "Does no one dust up here?"

"Why would they?" Cissy asked sensibly, peering at some sort of medallion on the wall. "It's not like anyone comes up here anyways, not even to snog."

I shrugged. "You never know when a room like this could be useful." I tilted my head. I could hear a kind of muffled choking sound coming from somewhere. "Do you hear that?"

Cissy stood stock still for a moment, listening. "Yes." She cocked her ear towards the sound. "I think it's coming from that curtained off closet over there."

We exchanged a look and began sneakily advancing towards the closet. As we headed towards it the noise only grew louder. Almost fearfully, I extended my hand to pull aside the curtain.

Huddled in a ball on the floor of the closet was Regulus. His lanky limbs were all tucked together, knees straining at the tense fabric of his pants. His hair was a mess, tangled and speckled with dust. When he looked up at us, his eyes were puffy and red from crying.

I reeled back in shock. This was the last person I expected to find crying in the Old Divination Tower. Cissy stood absolutely frozen as he leaped to his feet.

"I-I-I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to - I mean I won't – I couldn't – I just… I'll leave now."

He was opening the door when my brain caught up with me. "Wait!" I extended a hand, like it would actually help any.

He stared back at me, surprised. I blushed a bright red. I obviously had no idea what I was doing. "I mean… I was wondering… What were you crying about?"

He hung his head and shuffled his feet. "You wouldn't believe me."

I took a step closer. "Try me," I encouraged gently. This was such a different Regulus than the one I'd talked to about Alec. It was like they were two completely separate people.

He didn't look up. "Nyx."

Cissy and I both stiffened. When he glanced up at us from under his lashes, his face fell. "Yeah, well… I knew you wouldn't… I'll just-"

"Nyx?" It was Cissy this time that spoke. "Why would you? When you…"

"Practically killed her boyfriend?" Regulus asked harshly, in a voice weighted with self-hatred. "Yeah, I know you blame me. I do too."

"But why?" The question tumbled from my lips. "Why would you… if you cared for her?"

Regulus opened his mouth (to say what, I have no idea) and then his eyes caught mine. I stared into his eyes; mesmerized by the pent-up emotion I found swirling within.

He swallowed. "Do you really want to know?"

"Explain it to me, Reg," I implored him. "Explain how you can possibly be that little boy I knew so long ago. Explain it so I _don't_ have to blame you."

After a long moment of silenced, he lowered himself onto a chaise lounge. He rubbed his hand over his eyes. "I've never hit a girl in my life," he blurted out, words muffled by his hand.

My eyebrows flew up. "What?" That was a completely unexpected claim.

Regulus leaned back and closed his eyes. "That's how it all began, I suppose. With that lie."

"It's funny. When I was a kid, I was less… What's the Gryff word you use? Oh yeah, prejudiced. I suppose I am now. I don't think that the Muggleborns should be among us. I'm not like Lucius though. I don't believe they should be killed off. After all, it's not like they chose it. It's just… it's like they're a lower class or something. I believe that the Muggleborns are lower on the social ladder than purebloods. We are the ones with the superior blood in our veins and all. I do believe that."

"When I was a kid, though… Between Sirius and you guys, I was always kept away from all that. But once you went to school, my parents convinced me of the truth: That Muggleborns are inferior. They also… taught me a whole bunch of other things, things you guys had been against. I learned a lot that year."

"At the beginning of last year, my mother started pressuring me to think about joining the Death Eaters. She fully believed in the Dark Lord's vision and wanted me to be a part of his scheme. I was drawn in by her conviction and I promised her I'd get in good with the junior Death Eaters at school. And that meant Lucius. As I'm sure you know, he is the head of that group here. You have to get on his good side to be in with the group."

"Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard. All I had to do is cuss out this Mud -I mean, Muggleborn- girl in the train station. Lucius heard about it and invited me to their compartment. We spent a good solid hour talking about the superiority of the purebloods. And then Lucius leaned back and invited me to join. I accepted eagerly."

"Lucius took me under his wing, taught me how to be a real Death Eater recruit. He was the one that decided I needed a reputation. He said that people needed to know that I meant business, even if I was a 5th year. He started spreading it around that I abused the girls I dated. I hadn't dated anyone at school, so there were no contrary claims. And the thing was… he didn't even ask first. At the time, I'd had a crush on a girl for ages. It completely ruined any chance I had with her."

"When I told him to quit it, he just laughed me off. Said that I had to take what I got like a good boy. Said the Dark Lord would be impressed when he heard."

"Anyhow, the summer after, I got engaged to Nyx. As soon as I told Lucius, he insisted we do a back round check on her. 'Cause a Death Eater's wife has to stick to the straight and narrow path. The Dark Lord couldn't have someone sympathetic to the other side joined to one of his Death Eaters."

"It didn't take long to find out about the Sorin kid. She was over there constantly. When we first found out, Lucius made me watch as they made out in his bedroom. He kept whispering to look at what a filthy whore she was, to see the filth I'd been planning to ally myself with. He told me that we had to get her back, to punish the Mudblood who dared to touch a pureblood. And I… Merlin, I was so caught up in his web. I agreed."

"I didn't plan for it to go to, well, Him. But it did, and before I knew it, it was a full-blown Death Eater operation. They were planning to kill him and pull us from school to… assist. I never… I didn't… I hadn't… I'd never wanted it to go that far. When you cornered me that day in the broom closest, Aria, all I'd wanted to do is call it off like you said. But I was to ashamed to admit to you that it'd all gotten out of hand. I didn't want you to know what a coward I was. So I pushed you aside and told Lucius… And he… Merlin, I'm so sorry for that."

"When the day came, we flew our brooms out of Hogwarts. They waited for us to begin. He was all chained and pleading for his life and Merlin, they…"

"I couldn't take it. I felt like I was going to be sick. Lucius agreed to take me out. It's funny… for all his talk, he was green too. I threw up into the bushes outside while they finished up. Lucius just called me a wimp, but he was shaking too…"

"You have to understand… I did like Nyx. I always thought she was nice and kind and proper and I never wanted any of this to happen to her. But I just couldn't stop it. I…"

His voice trailed off and we were left in dead silence, each of us frozen.

Cissy was the first to thaw. "I'm glad you told us this, Regulus. Keep something like that inside for too long and you'll burst."

He bobbed his head slightly. "Thank you for listening." His voice was raspy with tears. "I'd better… I should go."

"No." I stepped forward, towards him. "Reg, I…" I couldn't help it. I burst into tears. "I'm so glad to hear you aren't evil, after all!" I flung my arms around him, sobbing into shoulders that were unnervingly similar to Sirius's, if a bit smaller.

He hugged me back like I was a soap bubble, or a butterfly perched precariously on his finger. Like I was fragile or going to break. He pressed his face into my neck. "Merlin, Ari, I'm so…"

I stroked his hair, lighter than his brother's. "I know. I know." I watched one of my tears landed on the collar of his shirt. "I forgive you, Reg. For all your mistakes. And I know that somewhere out there, Nyx is seeing this. And she forgives you, too."

That was all it took to reduce Regulus to pile of blubbering teenage boy. Cissy came to kneel beside us and took my hand and his. "Friends?" she asked softly, in a voice more like her six-year-old self than her sixteen-year-old person.

I nodded, a smile leaking through the cracks on my face. "Friends."

Regulus wiped desperately at his face and nodded. "Friends."

…

"Nyx's stuff is still in my dorm," I commented some time later, after I finished crying for the twentieth time in two days.

"Oh." We all contemplated this.

"What should I do with it?" I asked unnecessarily. We were all already thinking about that.

Cissy half shrugged, raising one shoulder. "Send it back to her parents I guess. Or turn it in to the school. They'll know what to do."

I nodded, agreeing. "Would you guys help me get it? Oh, and Cissy, we need to move you out. If you want to."

She patted her hair, making sure there was no dust in it, as she stood up. "I think I'll stay another night, if you don't mind." She raised her eyebrows as Regulus stood and pointed her wand at him. With a flick, he was clean, dust gone and uniform no longer rumpled.

I blinked at her. "You want to stay?" I wasn't sure I could believe what I was hearing.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Aria. I'd like to stay another night. I don't fancy going back and dealing with Lucius tonight." We all flinched at his name.

"I can get that." I kicked open the door, taking out my Lucius-hatred on it. "Come on. Let's go to the Common Room."

If entering the Common Room with Cissy and Nyx had been odd when it was completely empty, you can only imagine how I felt entering with Cissy and Regulus when practically all of Gryffindor was stuffed into the room.

I ignored the stares. "Reg, you're going to have to wait down here. Boys can't go into the girls' dorms."

Regulus glanced to both sides and I got the message. I turned to Cissy. "Actually, Cissy, why don't you go? I'll stay down here with Reg."

She pursed her lips, nodded, and darted upstairs as quickly as she could. No one said Slytherins couldn't be brave. In reality, they just preferred not to. As demonstrated by lightening fast abandonment on the part of Cissy.

I kicked my foot, linking my arms behind my back and whistling. God, this was the epitome of awkward. Reg was trying his 'I am one with the wall' trick again. It didn't work any better than it had when he was kid.

"What is _he_ doing in here?" a hostile voice growled. I frowned. I knew that voice.

I turned to face Sirius, perplexed. He looked like he was about to rip someone's head off. Most likely Reg's.

"He's helping Cissy and I take care of Nyx's belongings. Do you mind?" I glared at Sirius, giving him my best please-go-along-with-me-right-now look.

But his eyes were focused on Regulus. "Actually, yeah, I do mind. Scum like that belongs in the trash heap downstairs."

"Sirius!" I hissed, appalled. "This is your brother! And my friend!"

His eyes flew to me, seething with rage. "_Your_ friend? Since when, Aria?"

I put my hands on my hips, taking a defensive stand in front of Reg. "Since long before I thought you were tolerable. Obviously, I'm going to have rethink that judgment after this."

Sirius looked like he wanted to shake me until I started making sense. "And I thought you were intelligent. Evidently, that's not the case."

Oh, I wanted to slap him. "You want to talk about intelligence, Black? Because I think you win the lacking contest."

"Aria!" he hissed, eyes darting between Reg and I. "He's a complete and utter git!"

I smirked at him. "If you can name it, you can claim it."

He threw up his hands. "So now what! You siding with the little junior Death Eaters now?"

My eyes widened in outrage. "How dare you!" I snarled. "How dare you even imply such a thing! I can't believe you!"

"No, I can't believe you!" Sirius's voice was rising rapidly. To be fair, so was mine. "One day, you're ranting about how the Slytherins are all evil gits and the next day, you're playing best friends with them. Hey, who knows, maybe you'll be fucking them next?"

I slapped him, as hard as I possibly could.

There was complete silence.

"And here I thought you were actually halfway decent," I stated dryly, distantly. "Obviously, I was wrong."

I spun on my heel and stalked out of the Common Room. I was so done with Sirius Black.

…

Cissy and I ate dinner at the Gryffindor table that night. Reg declined to join us, instead probably cowering outside. We sat down at the very end of the table, secluded. I did not have the patience to deal with any Gryff prejudices.

When someone clambered in beside me, I turned, ready to tell him or her to please get lost. I blinked as I looked at James, calmly munching on a carrot.

He looked at me, smiling. "Hey Rs. It's been a while."

"Yeah." I shot Cissy a bewildered look. "Yeah, it has, I guess."

He smiled at Cissy and I thought I'd die of shock. "I don't believe we've ever been properly introduced."

Cissy raised her eyebrows. "We've been in the same year for seven years now. I rather thought that was introduction enough, Potter."

He grinned. "And when have we ever even spoken before, in all those years?"

Cissy settled back in her seat, something like admiration glinting in her eyes. "Touché."

James extended his hand over the table. "James Potter."

Cissy delicately took it. "Narcissa Black."

I watched in complete shock as my two best friends shook hands.

I pinched myself. "Must be dreaming…"

James glanced at me. "Goodness, Rs. If you dream about things like this, your mind is even odder than I thought."

I glared at him weakly. "Shut up James. What the hell are you doing down here with us, instead of with Lily?"

He shrugged happily, piling mashed potatoes onto his plate. "I got tired of all of them ranting about the fact that Slytherins had entered the Common Room. I mean, seriously. It's so stupid. Slytherins are just in a different house. No one makes a fuss about Rayne practically living in our dorm and she's a Ravenclaw." James's words were loud and clear, carrying across the Hall.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," I agreed warily.

He nodded cheerily. "Yeah. I figured. And everyone knows that you've got mates in Slytherin and all, so I just can't figure out what's got everyone in such a tizzy."

Cissy gave a small smirk. "Never figured that the brave lions would be so scared of a few lone snakes."

James pointed his fork at her. "Exactly!"

I cleared my throat. "So… I suppose that means that you at least don't have an issue with Cissy sleeping over tonight?"

James beamed at me. "Of course not! She's your best friend, isn't she? What's wrong with her spending the night?"

"Nothing." This was possibly the most surreal experience I'd ever had. The only thing that could possibly make it weirder was if Sirius came up and started acting nice to his cousin.

A body slid in across from James. My head shot up. Oh. Not Sirius. Remus.

He nodded at me politely. "Pass the pasta, will you Rs?"

Wordlessly, I handed him the pasta. What in Merlin's name was going on?

Suddenly, Lily and Rayne were there, sliding in beside their boyfriends. Lily smiled at me. "How are you doing Rs?"

"Good," I muttered, dazed, as Kristy and Rick joined our group.

Kristy pulled her lips away from Rick's to holler, "Oi! Black! Get that arse of yours down here!"

I peered down the table. There he was. Sirius. Sitting all alone. Well, not quite. The fan girls had descended. I almost felt bad for him. Almost.

He glared down at me, betrayal in his eyes. I glared right back. I was not going to be the one to make the effort here. _He _was the one that was wrong.

A hand shoved me. Cissy. She rolled her eyes. "Are you going to just keep holding onto it?"

I scrunched up my nose in distaste. "Do I have to?" I whined.

I blinked at her, bewildered. "Did you not hear what he said? He was really awful! Why should I forgive him any time soon?"

She propped her chin on her hand. "He didn't actually mean. He's probably regretting it right now. Give him a chance to apologize and see what he does."

"Do I have to?" I whined.

Cissy snorted. "Just go."

I stood up reluctantly and moved slowly down the table towards Sirius. His resentful, pleading eyes watched me every step of the way.

I stood in front of him and stared. He stared right back, neither of us saying anything. Finally, I sighed. "I'm not forgiving you."

He nodded. "What I said was pretty damn bad."

I scratched my head. "I guess I wasn't that great either." I wrinkled my nose. "I didn't actually mean ninety percent of it."

A ghost of a grin flitted across his face. "Well then, neither did I." He leaned in towards me. "I am really sorry, Aria. You didn't deserve that. You were right to slap me."

"I forgive you," I murmured.

And I just knew everything would be okay.

…

**Little does Aria know… *laughs evilly* Fear not! Aria's problems are not over yet! We still have seven more chapters! The darkness is only just beginnning... *cackles***

**I hope I cleared up Reg for everyone. I know people were worried because he IS a good guy and I was portraying him really badly. And he does make some really bad choices, I think. But the truth is that there is goodness left inside of him! *rainbows and butterflies surround the author***

**So! REVIEW! I really loved the reviews I got last chap! Lots of details worked in! Yay! REVIEW!**

**Thanks for reading! REVIEW! Love you all! REVIEW! :D**


	34. Beige

**Hey guys!**

**I know, I know. Been a while. Sorry. School and crap started up and I haven't been able to put as much time in.**

**So glad I finally got this done. It didn't have quite as much McGonagall and Aria as I would've liked, but... you do get to learn a tasty tidbit about our favorite Professor!**

**I hope you like this. I fixed what was left last chap. I know you guys were like: "What? She's forgiving him so easily? What IS this?" Don't worry, I address that.**

**And... that's about it. Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: If I wrote Harry Potter... Draco and Harry would become friends.**

* * *

Minerva McGonagall is a truly mystifying individual. I would know. I'm living with her.

But we aren't quite there yet, are we? Rewind please. And yes, we have gone over the mechanics of the remote before.

It was only a few days before Christmas break when she finally approached me. Cissy had gone back to eating with the Slytherins, now permanently cemented at Lucius's side. Kristy and Rick had officially planned to 'do it' over break, which, trust me, none of us were thrilled to hear about. Lily had managed to put her hand under James's shirt. Sirius and I had been dancing around each other. The official story was that I had forgiven him for basically calling me a Death Eater whore. But still... something lingered between us. I couldn't believe that he could possibly hate his brother that much, no matter how cowardly he was. So we stood on kind of shaky ground, neither of us really knowing how to make things right again. We spoke, but it lacked the former glitter of our friendship. Relationship. Thing.

In other interesting news, Rayne and Remus had broken up. Weirdly enough, neither of them seemed that heartbroken over it. Apparently they had decided that they were 'just friends' and 'too similar to be in a relationship'. To some degree, I attributed their romance to the rest of us pairing up. It's not like Rayne wanted to be single when the rest of us were doing the couple thing. NOT that I was dating Sirius. It's just we were kind of… paired, if you know what I mean.

I still grieved for Nyx. I would think of her every day. Over the month or so of living with her, we'd grown close, closer than I ever thought we could be. I'd always regarded her as more of Cissy's friend, even though we hung out a lot over the summer and I helped keep one of her deepest secrets. But now she was my friend and I missed her terribly. I'd wake up crying in the middle of the night sometimes and not know why. Only know that she had somehow caused it.

Reg, Cissy and I had finally reconciled. I resumed my old tradition of spending Sunday with Cissy. All three of us usually had a picnic in the gardens and spent the day playing games or just plain old talking. Occasionally, James would tag along. He and Cissy had developed somewhat of a camaraderie, having bonded over being my best friends or something. Who knew?

It turned out that all of my friends were heading home for the hols. Remus, James, Sirius, and (ew) Pettigrew were all going to James's mansion. Lily, Rayne and Cissy were all heading to their respective houses. Since Kristy's family had moved back to America, she was staying at the Leaky Cauldron. Which meant that she and Rick had plenty of alone time. Yuck.

We were eating dinner (steak and fries, a rare meal) when she whisked up. "Aria," she said primly, "Please head down to the train station with the rest of the students. You and I shall Apparate from there."

I beamed at her. "Goodness, Minnie, I thought you'd never ask." Might as well give the students a show. I'd been lax in that responsibility lately.

She gritted her teeth. "It is 'Professor' to you, Miss Colette."

"And it's 'Aria' to you, Minnie," I retorted with a flip of my hair and wink. "We're going to be living together soon. Don't you think we should just forgo the formalities?"

"Watch your tongue, Miss Colette," McGonagall bit out before striding away. Probably to keep from loosing her temper. Normally, she's a very controlled woman, but something about our year… Between myself and the Marauders, she doesn't get very much peace. Poor thing. Of course, that sympathy wasn't about to stop me from running her ragged over break.

Lily giggled. "I still can't believe you're staying with McGonagall of all people. Least of all, that she volunteered."

"I think she's regretting it," I chirped. "I can't wait though. It's going to be buckets of fun."

"For you," James corrected. "For McGonagall it's going to be hell on earth."

I winked at him. "All too right, mate." God, now I was talking like Sirius. Damn.

Maxie and Amelia scurried up, always eager for the latest gossip. The Sirius Black fan club had been in a frenzy for the last couple of weeks because, well... it was kind of obvious that we weren't exactly on great terms at the moment. They all had their little hopes up.

Maxie sidled in next to me, simpering. "So! Aria! What is all this about you staying with Professor McGonagall?"

I leaned away slightly and ran into Sirius's chest. Damn. Normally, I would've gotten off immediately and screamed, especially because of the recent awkwardness, but I settled in, hoping that it'd irritate Maxie. I was really sick of that girl. I smirked as I replied. "Well, you know, McGonagall and I are completely in love. We're running away together and getting married."

I felt Sirius huff behind me. "And where do I stand in all this?"

I tilted my head back to look at him. "That's simple, Siri, love. You can come be our pet dog!" Even this teasing felt stilted, not like it was supposed to be.

Needless to say, I got glared at for that one. But hey! At least I felt witty. I love feeling witty. There's something so nice about knowing that you've made such a sarcastic and intelligent comment. I mean, people go through their lives speaking in blah and then Wit comes along and says, "Sparkle!" And everything lights up, including the stars on the Christmas tree and everyone has a big group hug. Hooray!

Amelia frowned and coughed. "I can't believe you let her treat you like that, Sirius. You know that the Fan Club would never display such... crudeness towards your noble self!"

Have I mentioned that they've got a lot more annoying? I swear, they want to crown him king or something.

Sirius shifted uncomfortably behind me. Sometimes I forgot he didn't actually like being worshipped. "Yeah... well..."

I rolled my eyes and shifted away. It was his battle, after all. I tried to block my ears as Maxie picked up Amelia's rant.

"Yeah! And we wouldn't stubbornly give you the cold shoulder like this either! Or drag your estranged brother into the Common Room! Was she even thinking about you when-"

"Shut up!" Sirius's hard bark came as a surprise to all of us. I looked sideways to see his fists clenched and teeth gritted. "Just shut the fuck up you two and back off. Okay?"

The girls looked like they'd just gotten coal for Christmas. Maxie actually started crying. Sirius completely ignored them, pushing away from the table and stomping out of the Great Hall.

James stood, worriedly watching his friend. "I guess I'll go-"

"No." Even I was surprised to hear my voice. Slowly I stood and gave James's a small smile. "I'll go. Don't worry about it."

James bit his lip. "I don't know, Ari. I think his problem right now-"

"Is connected to me. I know, James." I adjusted my high heel. Weird. I normally only wore my red heels when I was upset about something. "I want to fix things before we go on break. I need to."

James opened his mouth, as if he was going to protest, but then he nodded. "Yeah. You're right. Good luck."

"Thanks." I shoved past Amelia and Maxie and strode out after Sirius.

* * *

It was pretty damn easy to figure out where he would be. Sure enough, as I walked onto the Quidditch pitch, there he was, circling in the sky. He was pounding Bludgers into targets, slamming each one with his full force. He was going to strain his shoulder if he kept it up.

I strolled into the center of the field and looked up. He didn't even notice me, completely focused. I waited as he took out Bludger after Bludger and patiently waited for his anger to be spent.

After ten or so minutes, he finally calmed down. His body slumped on the broom and he took deep breathes. I let out a low whistle and his head jerked up to look down at me. I gave a small wave as he caught sight of me and hurtled down to land next to me.

"Aria. Hey. What're you doing here?" His hair was all over the place. Any other day, I would've fixed it on the spot. Instead I turned around and walked toward the stands.

"Come on," I called over my shoulder. He followed obediently after me, his face like a little confused puppy dog. I took a seat and patted the ground next to me. We settled in beside each other. The atmosphere? Epitome of awkward.

"So."

"So."

"You practically ran out of the Hall." I left the rest for him to fill in.

He rubbed his hands together. "Yeah. Maxie and Amelia were bugging me."

"They're pretty..."

"Yeah."

Silence fell again. This wasn't a situation we could easily wave away like the others.

I kicked my feet. "I was wondering... why did you run away from your family's place?"

Sirius stiffened. I could feel his eyes burning into the back of my head, but I refused to look at him. After a few long moments, he spoke, his voice stilted.

"I... They... My mom and I got in a fight. Obviously, she's disapproved of my whole existence since even before Hogwarts. I forget what we were even arguing about. I said I was leaving and she said she was kicking me out. And I left." He sighed. "Why?"

I inspected my nails. "I was wondering... if you felt guilty about leaving Regulus behind. You guys weren't ever super close, but... he said you helped keep him from becoming prejudiced when he was a kid."

Sirius shot to his feet. "I don't want to talk about my brother with you Aria." His tone was firm, unyielding.

I looked at my skirt cooly. "No. You don't. But unless you want us to go on acting this silly, it's going to have to be resolved. I feel like... if I know what makes you hate your brother so bad, maybe I can finally really forgive you for what you said and understand it." I grabbed his hand as he moved to walk away. "You always accuse me of running. You've taught me how to face what I feel. Don't be a hypocrite, Sirius. You owe this to me."

"I thought you forgave me for that shit." He kicked his toe into the ground.

"Yeah, so did I. But shit like that doesn't go away that easy, Sirius. I need you to explain. Otherwise whatever we have is just going to go to waste. Come on, Sirius. I tell you practically everything. Now tell me something." I couldn't believe I was actually pleading for this. At the beginning of this year, I would've loved this. Sirius Black avoiding me? Terrific.

Sirius's hand cupped my face and gently tilted it up. Our eyes met. I serenely endured his examination of my face. His thumb slid across my cheek and I subtly leaned toward his touch. His hand fell away from my face as he let out a deep breath. "Fine." He sat down next to me again and stared at the ground. "If you must know... When we were kids, Regulus looked up to me a ton. We were... not close, but I had a big influence on him. I was able to keep him from being completely like Mom and Dad. And then... when I left, he turned into the douche bag that he is today. He started acting like Muggleborns were filth and you were crap if you weren't in Slytherin. I tried desperately to get him to change, but all we did was get in fights. As we got older... we didn't even really talk anymore. But then... what my mother and I argued about the day I left... I lied. I do remember what we were fighting about. It was Regulus. She was going to engage him to Nyx. I told her that I wouldn't let my little brother be promised to some cold, purist, Slytherin bitch." He glanced apologetically at me. "I didn't know her then, of course. But Regulus heard us fighting and barged in. Told me that I'd abandoned him in the first place and I didn't have a say in his life anymore. Told me to butt out." He rubbed his hands together. "I do... feel guilty, that is. I just wish... If I hadn't left him, he would be different now. He wouldn't be like this. And I just hated seeing you with him and being reminded of how bad I failed. And seeing how you somehow managed to do what I couldn't. I don't know. I just went crazy inside."

"Oh." There didn't seem to be anything else to say. I slid closer to him and grabbed his hand. It was so much bigger than mine. "I think... I think Reg still cares about you. I think he still looks up to you. If you try, maybe things could change between you."

He shook his head. "No. It's too late. I can't... I don't think it's possible for us anymore. But, maybe... you can help him. So, I'll just hope that you can save him." He gazed at me, a smile hanging around the corners of his mouth. "I think you'll be good for him, Ari. And if you want to date him, don't worry about me. I'll get on."

"What?" I screeched, completely shocked. I gaped at him. "Is _that_ what this is about?"

Sirius blinked at me. "Well, he's head over heels for you. I just assumed..."

I shook my head violently, trying to get the image out of my head. "No! No way! Reg? Gross! I would _never_ date him! He's like a little brother or something." I gripped Sirius's face in my hands. "If you were jealous of him or some crap, don't worry about it. Reg and I? Not happening."

"Oh." His eyes were saucer sized. "Well, you know, that changes things."

I dropped my head into my hands. "I can't believe _that's_ why you've been so distant lately. You are the bizarrest person I've ever met."

"Thanks."

"Wasn't a compliment."

"Depends on who you ask."

"If you asked me..."

"_But_ I didn't."

"But, _I'm_ the one who said it."

"And?"

"Therefore, my opinion is the only one that matters."

"Depends on who you ask."

"_Argh!_"

* * *

Luckily, that discussion cleared things up between us. The next morning, it was as if the whole Regulus-fiassco had never happened.

Kristy elbowed me on the way to the Hogwarts Express. "Did you two snog and make up?"

"Shut up, Kristy," I grumbled. She really was _too_ happy about sleeping with Rick over break.

She linked arms with me smugly. "Come, dear. You have to be at least a _little_ excited for me. This is my first time."

I detached from her. "Is it his too?"

She bit her lip and I knew I had hit a button. "I don't know... we didn't really talk about that."

I patted her arm. "Talk about it first dear. Trust me."

Lily glanced back at us. She was walking with James. "Aria, how would you know?"

I gave her the You-Honestly-Can't-Be-Serious look. Her eyes got huge. "Oh. I didn't... I mean... I..."

I rolled my eyes. "Get over it Lils. Not everyone is as pure as you are."

The Hogwarts Express was waiting in the station, puffing smoke as usual. I gave a light cough.

James turned to me with a huge grin. "See you, Rs. Keep in touch. Maybe we can hang out one day."

I gave him a huge hug. "Hopefully. Just don't bring the ugly red-headed thing."

"Hey!" Lily slapped the back of my head playfully. "Bitch."

"Yep." I hugged her next, then Rayne and Remus. Pettigrew tried to hug me, but I skillfully avoided him.

"Kristy... how shall I manage without you?" I flung my arms around her. "Have fun... but not too much fun."

She laughed and squeezed me so hard I couldn't breath. "Oh, I'll be having _lots_ of fun."

I wrinkled my nose. "Ewww..."

Suddenly, I was lifted up from behind. I let out a small scream. "Black! I know it's you. Put me down!"

I could hear Sirius's deep throaty laugh in my ear. "Beg, dear."

I snorted. "You pervert, you." I adopted Maxie's high pitched whiny voice. "Please, Sirius, god of all things hot and sexy, please place my feet back on the ground so I can properly worship you there!"

"That's scary, Rs." Sirius put me back on the ground and I turned to face him. He smirked at me. "As hot as that was... don't ever do that again."

"Deal." I mirrored his smirk. "I'll see you 'round, Black."

He leaned and briefly kissed my cheek, which I graciously allowed. Then he gave me a big bear hug. "Take care of yourself, Ari. Write, will you?"

"I will," I vowed. I stared at him and wondered if it would be completely awful to ask for a kiss before I left.

"Ahem." I turned to see McGonagall standing there, at her most disapproving. "It's time to depart, Miss Colette."

"Aria," I corrected her automatically. I waved at all my friends. "See you!"

I gripped McGonagall's arm and watched as my friends disappeared in a wave of color.

* * *

McGonagall's apartment looked like an experiment in how many shades of beige can possibly be stuffed into one room. I swear, everything was some shade of brown-grey. It was awful. Puke-awful. How could any living breathing person exist in a flat such as this?

I glanced over at McGonagall. She couldn't be human. She was an autotron or something. A robot. There was no way she was truly human. I mean, how could one go without sex for as long as she had? Just wasn't possible. Unless... she was asexual or something. That would explain it. Asexuality... yes. Indeed.

"McGonagall, are you asexual?" Best to confirm this off the bat.

"Excuse me?" she sputtered. She looked like she was having a heart attack or something. It was only a question. Albeit a very rude and intrusive one.

"The beige..." I tried to explain. She waved me off, as she tried to recover her composure.

"Miss Colette, not that it is any of your business, but I was actually married for a little under a decade to a perfectly wonderful man." She sniffed and continued on with the tour she had been giving and I had been ignoring.

"What happened to him?" I think I interrupted her. Oh well.

She patted her bun. "He died."

"Oh." I felt a little bad for bringing it up. I kept my mouth shut as we entered a new room. It looked even more untouched than the others. "What room is this?"

"This will be your bedroom, Miss Colette-"

"Aria."

"-and there is the bathroom that attaches. I'll leave you to get settled." McGonagall swept out, her nose up in the air. Had I actually offended her?

I took in my room. Beige bed, beige wardrobe, beige nightstand, beige paint, beige curtains. I pursed my lips. I couldn't _live_ in here. I snuck a look at the door and whipped out my wand.

Within a few minutes, everything was much better. The room was painted a golden hue. All the wood was a deep mahogany. The bedding and curtains were a red-purple color, with golden thread tracing designs through them. I smiled in satisfaction. It looked like home. Hogwarts.

It didn't take me long to unpack my bags, but it took quite a bit of time to change out of my uniform and redo my hair and make-up. It was lunch by the time I flounced out of my room.

McGonagall was in the living room area, perched on her beige couch, reading some thick book. She looked up when I entered and stared dubiously at my outfit.

I pressed my palms against my jean skirt. "Is there an issue?"

McGonagall stood regally. I swear, she was like a foot taller than me. "No. It is simply disorienting, that is all. I rarely see students outside of Hogwarts while they are still in school."

My stomach grumbled and I wrapped my arms around my stomach. "Ummm... so... lunch?"

She swept into the kitchenette. "Most days I will not be at home for the majority of the day. I am attending a Transfiguration convention that will run most of winter vacation. You will have the run of the house. If you wish to order food or make it yourself... that is your choice. You _cannot_ leave the house without me chaperoning you. After Mr. Sorin's death, Dumbledore and I feel that you may not be safe to go out. Please stay indoors and safe. If there is anything I can get you..."

I scratched my head. "Well, I do need new bras..."

McGonagall froze. "Perhaps we can go out one day."

I smirked behind her back. At least I'd have one day of freedom.

One day out of fourteen. Fun.

* * *

I was going mad. Completely bonkers. This flat was driving me insane. And it was only the first day.

I'm not a big reader, you know. I am a social person. I find most of my entertainment in people. I'm not good on my own.

The only activity I can really do when I'm alone is drawing. I love sketching and painting... art is my thing. In particular, I like designing. Not clothing. Jewelry. I own a jewelry shop in Italy actually; I inherited it from my Grandma Malfoy. And I've always been fascinated by gems and patterns and-

Well, never mind. Suffice to say I kept myself busy enough for the first three hours. And then I got bored. One can only sketch so long without needing more inspiration.

So I decided to have a little fun.

I snuck into McGonagall's room.

Surprisingly, the color theme was beige. Real shocker.

Three of the walls were completely taken up by bookcases. The other wall had a bed and a wardrobe. I went straight for the clothes.

McGonagall seemed to have exactly three styles: long dark dresses, outfits made entirely of tartan, and one old wedding dresses.

I bit my lip. The dress seemed so forlorn, hanging in the corner as if someone was trying to avoid seeing it. It was a pretty dress too, all white and lacy. I ran my hand down it and felt the distinctive softness of silk. I tried to imagine McGonagall in it and failed miserably.

I wondered what her husband was like. I wondered if McGonagall was her maiden name. I wondered how he died. I wondered if they had been terribly in love. I wondered if she still missed him.

I'd been planning to come in and Transfigure her clothes, play a few tricks. But now... I just felt so utterly sad. It seemed like all the love stories I'd heard lately had ended tragically. Was there one true love that had a happy ending?

I ran my fingers along the spines of her book. All on Transfiguration. I paused on one about becoming an Animagus. Cautiously, I pulled it out.

... That would be an amusing way to spend time over break.

* * *

_Dear Aria,_

_How are you? We're doing pretty damn well. We had a food fight last night and thought of you. Remember the day after your birthday when you threw that jam sandwich at James? Ah, the good old days..._

_Anyhow, we're going to Diagon Alley on Friday. If you could meet up with us there, that'd be terrific. We'd really like to see you. I'd really like to see you, for that matter. I mean, Christmas, mistletoe... You catch my drift? You can snog me without needing to make excuses. _

_..._

_Please don't kill me for saying that. I was joking._

_Anyhow... you know the whole 'second chance' thing? Anyway that might be soon? Not that I'm nagging you. Scratch that. I am nagging you. But it's loving nagging. _

_Anyhow._

_I'm sorry McGonagall's place is so boring. You could redecorate. The whole place, not just your room._

_I tried to come visit, but there's a shield around the place. I couldn't get it._

_No, I'm not creepy. That's Peter, remember?_

_I miss you. I hope that we can see you Friday._

_Love,_

_Sirius_

* * *

_Dear Aria,_

_So, Rick and I did it._

_It was freaking amazing. It was both of our first times and... Ari, how could you let me miss out on that for so many years?_

_God, I can barely sit still. It was so perfect. Merlin, I swoon just thinking about it._

_I hope your holidays are going just as well!_

_Love,_

_Kristy_

* * *

_Dear Aria,_

_I'm horribly bored too, but the whole Animagus thing is crazy! You shouldn't do that without adult supervision... And you HATE Transfig. You're crap at it. (Don't yell at me, you know it's true). I know James did it (Yes, they told me. They told all of us), but honestly! At least wait until they can supervise! It's seriously illegal!_

_Try and not spontaneously combust. If you do that, I won't kill my sister. I won't. Or her walrus of a boyfriend._

_Are you meeting up with the boys on Friday? I can't go. Apparently they've decided it's a Marauder only thing and you are a 'honorary' Marauder. So have fun. And yes, I am slightly bitter. But I'm seeing James on Saturday and Sunday. So there._

_Love,_

_Lily_

_P.S. I just heard from Kris. I'm disturbed_

* * *

_Dear Aria,_

_I think the Animagus thing is a great idea. Maybe then you can join us and become a real Marauder instead of just an honorary one!_

_Tell us when you figure out what animal you are. We'll work on a nickname. It'll be so cool._

_Oh, and don't tell Lily that I told you I approve. She's freaking out about it and made me swear to discourage you. And she's scary when she's angry. Beautiful, but scary._

_Sirius talks about you constantly. Can you just go out with him so he'll shut up? Now I know how they felt about me and Lily._

_As for McGonagall... sneak out. You're good at that, aren't you? I'm sure she'll never notice._

_I miss my best friend. I hope you can come on Friday. _

_Love,_

_James_

* * *

I spent most of my time studying up on becoming an Animagus. I spent the rest irritating McGonagall.

I got her to take me out to Diagon Alley on Friday. The plan was to ditch her in the bra shop and meet up with the boy's at the Quidditch store. I felt mildly bad about giving her the slip, but it was better than being cooped up for the rest of my life.

I picked up a bright red, lacy bra. "Hey, McGonagall. You should get this one."

She pursed her lips. "Miss Colette-"

"Aria."

"-I did not come here to shop for myself. Hurry and buy what you need."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Well... It's going to take a little while. You can wait outside if you want."

"If you don't mind..." She was already out the door. I smirked. Little did she know that there was a back exit. I dropped the bras and rushed out.

I giggled as I ran down the alley connecting the back of Madame Vicky's Secrets to Diagon Alley. I didn't hear anything as someone crept up behind me and hit me over the head.

The last thing I saw was a Malfoy ring before I blacked out.

* * *

**Mua ha ha ha! Angst, angst is coming your way! RAWR!**

**Cliffhangers empower me.**

**So do reviews. So please. Review.**

**Thanks so much for reading! :D Love you all dearly!**


	35. Little Miss Perfect

**Hey guys!**

**So... Quick update, right? You love me, don't you? *wink***

**This is about the DARKEST THING I have ever written. It's crazy dark. And I cut out crap too. I promise, there won't be anything darker. I'm just worried that you all are going to freak and be like, "Listen, I didn't sign up to read THIS kind of stuff."**

**Don't worry, it's not anything M rated. At least, I don't think so. I'm just warning you... it's dark.**

**That said... I was one other request. I need a new playlist to listen to while I write the last five chapters. If you guys could REVIEW and tell me a song that you think relates to Aria, or Sirius, or one of the characters, that would be GREAT!**

**Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: J.K. writes death. I write... well, you'll have to read, won't you?**

* * *

I woke in the strangest place. My old bedroom.

At least, it looked like my old bedroom. It was decked out in the Malfoy colors, silver and black. There was my bed, and my closet, which was it's own room. I glanced in it. Yes, those were my clothes. That was my collection of jewelry over there. There was the picture of Grandma Malfoy and I on the wall.

But something seemed wrong. This didn't feel like my room. It couldn't be. It had to be a very good replica. I leaned over and looked under the bed. Yes. I had hidden pictures of Lily, Kristy and I under my bed last summer. They weren't there anymore. This wasn't my room.

Something was wrong.

I tiptoed to the door and tested the handle. It was unlocked. I eased the door open.

This wasn't my house.

There was no grand staircase three floors down. My room wasn't connected to a sitting room or a bathroom like it should be. Instead, there was a rickety wooden staircase going down one flight. There was only one other room on the second floor. A light glowed from under it.

Thinking back, I should have gone downstairs and tried to escape. But instead, I crept towards the other room. I reached for my wand in my pocket, but it had vanished. Someone had taken it. Carefully, I pushed the door open.

A woman was brushing her hair while looking the mirror. A Malfoy ring flashed on the middle finger of her left hand. I stepped forward. It couldn't be... The floor under me creaked and she swung around.

Her face was regal, elegant, and pale, her eyes were ice blue. Her hair was white-blonde and fell, perfectly straight, all the way to her waist. She showed no shock upon hearing me. Instead, her perfect mouth curled into a condescending smile.

"I thought you'd never wake up. It really isn't attractive to sleep so much, you know." My mother said, her eyes chips of ice on her doll-like face.

The world swam around me and I fainted.

* * *

I woke up in the room-that-was-not-my-room again. This time, I didn't even bother getting up. I just laid there.

My mom had kidnapped me.

Almost as if she had a psychic sense of when I was asleep and awake (Santa Clause, much?), the door swung open and she glided in, carrying a tray of sliced fruit.

"I'm afraid you hit your head when you fell. You'll have to stay in bed for a day or so." She placed the tray on my nightstand and sat next to me on the bed. "It is so good to see you. Even if your choice of clothing was... not exactly proper."

I'd been wearing tights, a miniskirt, a tank top, heels and a peacoat when she had abducted me. Not exactly her style. I was wearing a long nightgown at the moment. I felt like Wendy from Peter Pan.

"Mom. Why am I here?" She was a known Death Eater. Shouldn't she be on the run?

She stroked my cheek and gave an eerie smile. "Dear. I couldn't just leave you behind, could I? Especially since your father decided he didn't want you." I could hear the venom just below the surface. "You were so alone... unwanted... I thought I'd do you a favor and let you join me."

I turned my head away from her. "I was fine."

Her hand turned in a claw around my neck. I froze. "No you weren't dear. Stuck among all those blood traitors and Mudbloods... Lucius told me all about it. How you must have suffered, my dear. Although I do commend you for trying to bring the Black boy back to our side. He would be a valuable asset."

"Mom-" Her hand cut off my words.

"My little princess... So dirty from time spent around such filth. Don't worry. Once you wake up again, we'll get you nice and sparkly clean again." I struggled to breath as she pressed harder on my throat. The world swam before my eyes and I passed out.

Again.

Damn.

* * *

When I woke up next, I was completely naked in the tub, with six house elves scrubbing me viciously. The water was freezing cold. My teeth were clacking away.

I vaguely recognized the house elves. They were from my old home. One of them was my own personal house elf. I tried to speak but a hand clamped across my mouth.

"Shhh... dear. The cold water helps keep the skin pale and clear. And you have tanned most unbecomingly."

I squeezed my eyes shut. I was dreaming... I had to dreaming...

When they were done washing, they stuffed me into a formal ball gown that was far too tight. I'm tiny and it was hard for me to breath. My head was swimming in clouds.

My mother took me downstairs for the first time. There was a formal dining room. I tried to look out the windows, but like my room upstairs, heavy curtains obscured them. She sat me down in one of the elegant chairs and smiled at me.

"We are so blessed, Aria. Do you know why?"

"No, Mother." I stared straight ahead. My mother hadn't been the same since I'd come here. She'd been different. Almost unstable.

"We have been gifted with one of the most amazing leaders on earth. He has been sent to right this polluted world, to dispose of those unworthy. He is going to lead us to rule the Muggles. There will be no more hiding in the shadows. We shall rule the world!" She came up behind my chair and caressed my hair. "In the new world, you shall be like a princess, my dear! Such pure ancestry. Never a drop of blood that was impure. You shall rule over the others. You would like that, wouldn't you, my dear? You like being in charge. You like power."

"No, Mother." I responded.

My answer was rewarded with a harsh slap. It was so hard, it knocked me out of my chair and onto the floor.

My mother's face twisted in anger. "Wrong answer, Aria. That is the wrong answer. What is the right answer? What is it, Aria?"

I made no move to pick myself up from the floor. She'd only hit me again. "The right answer is a matter of opinion, Mother."

I gasped as she kicked me in the stomach was steel-toed boots.

"No. There is only one right answer, only one right way. And that is the way of the Dark Lord. He shall bring us to power, Aria, to glory. Join him, take his mark, and join the ranks of the pure and perfect. This is your destiny, Aria. Just say yes, and I shall take you to him to be marked."

My heart dropped into my stomach. I hadn't been prepared for this. I hadn't thought she... I knew a Dark Mark could only be given with the consent of the to-be-marked. This had to be the only reason I was not marked already. But this would not last long. My mother would keep me in this house and do who-knows-what to me until I gave in.

I knew what I would do if I was Cissy. I would say yes. How bad could it be? And would it really be worth my sanity and, potentially, my life to resist? Not in her mind. She would advise me to take the Mark and learned to deal with it. Better to be alive and Marked then dead.

On the other hand, James would urge me to say no. Stand up, be strong, and say no. And somehow manage to start a fight to the death. And if I died? Better dead than an instrument in the death of others. Better not risk staying alive where you could be tortured into saying yes in the end.

But I wasn't willing to do either. Killing myself by entering into a fight with my mother did not sound appealing in the least. Besides, I had confidence that I could be found. My mother was unstable. She probably hadn't chosen the smartest hiding place. McGonagall would know I was gone, kidnapped. She would start the search. The Aurors were good; they would find me.

I just needed to wait things out. I had to.

I swallowed. "No, mother. I will not join you."

I heard a screech of anger as she fell on me. Or, her wand did. She sliced through the entire front of my dress in one flick. I closed my eyes as she started. Obviously, she was no longer concerned about scarring.

I could barely hear her words as I tried to block out the pain. "Then you will treated as scum until you see reason!"

* * *

I passed out at some point from pain. When I woke up, I had been healed and stuffed into a box.

It was pitch dark. I couldn't see a thing. I waited for my eyes to adjust, but they never did. There was no light.

I was lying down. The box was rectangular, like a coffin. I felt the floor beneath me. Wood. I shifted. There wasn't much room to move. I couldn't even turn on my side.

I lifted my arms to shove at the lid. It wouldn't open. Instinctively, I struggled. I slammed on the lid, willed it to move. I beat my body against the walls. After my hands were bruised and bleeding, I stopped.

It was no good. I was stuck until my mother decided to haul me out.

Thank Merlin I wasn't claustrophobic.

* * *

It had to have been days later I was let out. I don't know. Maybe it was hours. It could have been minutes. When you are deprived of even the most basic senses, time doesn't seem quite real anymore.

I collapsed at my mother's feet when she hauled me out. My legs were trembling. The slightest movements made my muscles hurt, they were so cramped from being stuffed in one position.

She grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked me up by it. "Have you changed your answer, dear?" she snarled in my ear. I writhed in in her grasp, ignoring the hair being painfully pulled from my head.

"No, Mother," I gasped.

She let me go and I slumped back against the ground. I panted on the cool floor as I waited for her inevitable punishment.

She knelt beside me, and I tensed, scrambling away on the palms of my hand. She struck like a snake, her hand curling around my neck and halting my movement.

"Such lovely hair..." she crooned, her other hand petting my head. I blinked, trying to clear my head. I had to figure out what she was doing, I had to stop her. I had to.

"Lovely, lovely hair..." She lifted her hand and my hair slid like liquid gold through her fingers. "It's such a pity that you don't take better care of it."

A flash of silver and a hunk of my hair fell to the ground. I stared at it in horror.

With trembling fingers, I reached up to feel the hair just on the right side of my face.

It reached to my earlobe.

"No..." I murmured.

My mother cackled. Her hand fisted it my hair yanking it up. "I can see now! You have erred from the path! You are no longer the child I raised, but a whore consumed by vanity and lust! I will cleanse you, Aria! I will cleanse you!"

I squeezed my eyes shut as she cut chunk after chunk off my hair.

* * *

Time blurred.

I remember my mother drowning me in a tub. She would dunk me in, hold me under until I almost passed out, then pull me up again.

She made me scrub the floor with a substance that burned my palms and turned them a blistered red. If I didn't work, she would use her wand to burn a patch of skin on my back.

Once, she tied me up and made me watch as she used a knife to slash the skin on my face. She said Lily had always wanted to do it. She said they hated my face.

There were other things, but I try not to think about them. I'd hardly want to subject you to them. That's why this chapter is abnormally short.

At some point, she stuck me in a room. Not my room; I hadn't been in there since the first couple of days. No, it was a barren room, devoid of any furnishings except a chain attached to the wall. She fastened the chain around my neck, then cuffed my hands together.

"I've been patient." Her eyes had sunken deeper into her head over the time she'd kept me here. They glowed fanatically, embers burning bright. "I've tried and tried to make you see reason. I've been gentle. I can't afford to do that anymore. You will say yes, or you will die in this room."

I bowed my head.

So this was it.

I'd always imagined I'd die dramatically. On a large ivory bed, surrounded by loved ones, preaching my last tidbits of wisdom. Everyone would be crying. After I died, the flag at the Ministry would sail at half-mast. The whole nation would grieve me.

But the last stand of Aria Colette would not be dramatic. It would be plain and simple... and true. If I had to die, I'd die more me than I ever had before.

"No. No, Mom. I will never say yes. Ever." I looked up at her, and for a moment, I thought she saw me. Her wand drooped at her side as she stared at me in bewilderment.

Then her face twisted and the hand holding her wand tightened. "I always hated you. Always. Such a _happy_ child. What right had you to be happy... when I was so miserable?" She stalked closer to me and I pressed myself against the wall. "I hated your father! Hated him! Acted like I didn't, convinced everyone I loved him, but he was nothing but a wuss and a sissy! Dragged away from my home at nineteen to bed this man twice my age and carry his little child! And groom her and coo over her and teach her to be a _lady_, all so she could be sold off to some old man who wouldn't know the first thing about pleasing her!" I turned my head away as she knelt down closer to me. "At first, I had some satisfaction that at least you would be as miserable in your marriage as I was in mine, but no! You had to go and befriend the Mudbloods and traitors and create your own new little life where you never had to worry about going out of your dormitory after dark! I bet none of your drinks were ever spiked and your father never traded you for a promotion at the Ministry. Little Miss Perfect! Well, you aren't so perfect now, are you?"

I felt the skin on my collarbone tear open as she slid a knife agonizingly slowly from shoulder to shoulder.

"I want to see you bleed," she muttered, eyes demented and fascinated by the sight of my blood dripping down my chest. "I want to see what your body looks like all torn up and slashed open."

I swallowed, deep, as she cut gash after gash on my body. Sometimes, I lost control of my voice and screamed, screamed for help, for reprieve, for anything.

And then the worst came. I was sprawled on the floor, bleeding from so many cuts that I knew I'd die from blood loss, when she pointed her wand at me.

"_Crucio._"

It was the worst pain I have ever experienced. There is nothing to describe it, nothing that can accurately explain how the pain can make you lose your own mind. I could feel myself slipping away. It was hard to remember things. Who I was, where I was from... I gripped at faces. I tried to find Lily, Rayne, Kristy, Remus, James, Cissy, _anyone... _but their faces slid away from me like sand through my pathetic fingers. They just weren't there any more. I couldn't... I wasn't...

I was going to lose.

I wasn't going to die. I was going to go mad.

There was nothing, nothing. I was nothing. I had nothing. Except one feeble spark of resistance.

With that last little bit of self I had left, I reached for anything that might help me keep myself. Anything.

There was nothing.

And then... there was something.

Something warm and deep and glowing brighter than the brightest star in the sky. Something I'd never seen before. Not in myself.

I reached for it. It was the only way. If I could recognize this one thing about myself.

The pain hit me again and I almost lost it. I squeezed so hard on that bright, glowing thing that it burst in my mind.

_Sirius._

Sirius, the brightest star in the sky.

Sirius. I hadn't ever... I'd never... I'd thought...

I loved him.

I loved him. Inexplicably, I loved him.

Maybe I always had.

Did it matter?

No. Time didn't matter.

Love mattered.

Sirius mattered.

I'd never told him.

I had to tell him.

I envisioned the smile he would have on his face when I finally admitted it. Big, covering up all the hurt.

He made me feel like I didn't hurt.

I wrapped his love around me like a blanket and I knew what to do.

My whole self came rushing back to me. My everything. And I let go.

The chains clattered off me and the room around me blazed. Fire licked at the walls. My mother fell back and I rose unsteadily to my feet. I should not have been able to stand, but I did.

My magic was protecting me.

Flame licked at my mother's clothes and she screeched, distracted. I launched past her, racing out the door, down the rickety stairs, out the front door that I'd only vaguely seen in the corner of my eye. I heard her calling behind me, but I ran hard, not even noticing my surroundings as I raced down the country road towards something, anything, that would save me.

Voice found me.

"HELP!" I screamed. The pain was coming back. Love had helped me get this far. I wasn't sure... "HELP!"

Please, someone, anyone.

My legs fell out from under me and I toppled over, hitting the ground. I closed my eyes in relief as darkness took me.

* * *

**...So.**

**What did you guys think? Please tell me. Kindly. I feel kinda worried about this chap, so I want you to give me really constructive feedback.**

**Next chapter will let you know what happened back at Hogwarts with Aria mysteriously missing... It will have Sirius's POV... and James's... and Lily's... and Kristy's... and practically everyone in our cast of characters! (I can't guarantee EVERYONE. Just almost everyone.)**

**Thank you all for reading and supporting me. Five chapters left! Eek!**

**Please, review!**


	36. Memories and Regrets

**Hey guys!**

**Sorry, this chap took a little longer than expected. I actually hand-wrote it (a real pain) and then had to type it up (even more of a pain). But I think it's one of the better chaps I've written (even though there is NO Aria POV). I really love it and I hope you do too!**

**A note on the last chap: Aria managed to escape because the realization of love gave her the strength to reach inside herself and blast out a whole bunch of wandless magic. That's basically how she escaped. **

**Well, read and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: If I were JK, Harry Potter would never end.**

* * *

**Sirius's POV:**

When Aria didn't show up to meet us in Diagon Alley, we figured McGonagall had caught her and she wouldn't be able to meet us.

When she didn't return our letters, we reasoned she was grounded and couldn't write.

When she wasn't on the Hogwarts Express, we thought maybe she and McGonagall were Apparating.

So, in the whole first week she was gone, we didn't even know to worry.

I sat down at the Gryffindor table next to my fellow Marauders. I felt twitchy; I couldn't stop moving, twisting in my seat as I searched for her. I hadn't seen Aria in so long it almost hurt, as cheesy as that was. Now that everything was right between us, I just really wanted to see her.

James snickered. "Calm down, mate. Chill. She'll be here soon enough. There's McGonagall right there."

I glanced over at McGonagall and a chill went down my spine. Her eyes were puffy and red, her face creased with worry. Something was wrong.

I nudged James. "What's wrong with her?"

He was as baffled as me. "I don't know. Maybe her cat died?"

Peter slid closer to Remus, his pudgy face in it's normal state of confusion. "Remus, why are her eyes all red? Is she a zombie?"

"She's been crying, Peter," Remus answered patiently, but his brow furrowed as if he was thinking hard.

Just then, the girls skipped in. Lily immediately scooted in next to James. Rayne avoided Remus and sat on Lily's other side. Kristy sat across from me, blissfully Rick-free. From what I heard, they'd been attached all break, and I don't mean at the hip.

I made a mental note to tell Aria that later. She would laugh.

Lily scanned the room. "Where's Aria?"

James gave her a weird look. "I thought she was unpacking in your dorm with you guys."

Kristy tossed her hair and frowned. "We thought she was down here with you."

I automatically looked at James. He gave me a subtle nod. Something was not right.

Up at the high table, the teachers were clumped, speaking in hushed voices. From time to time, they would look out at us, faces contorted with pity.

The students shifted restlessly. We should've started eating by now. I peered around the room. Everyone was there. Everyone except Aria.

Dumbledore stepped up to his little podium.

Kristy groaned, propping her chin on her hand. "A speech? Really?"

Remus's hand clenched on the table. "I don't think this is a good thing."

Dumbledore studied us wearily. "I apologize for the hold-up. I'm afraid we've just received some dreadful news." He paused, as if to compose himself. "I'm sure you are all familiar with Miss Aria Colette." Murmurs rippled through the crowd. "Over the holidays, Miss Colette mysteriously disappeared in Diagon Alley. The Aurors believe that Death Eaters may have been involved."

"No..." My mind refused to wrap around it. Everything being so good, suddenly turned so bad. Righteous anger bubbled up within me. I never could hold my temper.

"Stop fucking lying, Dumbledore!" I was on my feet, finger pointed in accusation. "I have no idea what the fuck you're up to, but cut it out!"

"Mr. Black..." Dumbledore looked at me sympathetically. "I understand you're distraught, but you have to comprehend-"

"No way in fucking hell am I going to buy into all the shit you're dishing out of your mouth! Aria can't be gone! She can't, she just-"

"Sirius." A clammy hand clamped over my mouth. James stepped up beside me, his face controlled. He addressed the teachers, "What do you know about it so far?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I'm afraid all information is classified, Mr. Potter. However, the Auror in charge of the search would like to interview those close to her in hopes that they can provide some assistance."

"Of course." My cousin, Narcissa, stood at the Slytherin table. "Anything to help."

"Good," an unfamiliar voice grunted. A short man with grizzled hair, a wooden leg, and a spinning blue eye limped in. "Because we are going to need all the help you can give."

James expression turned slightly panicked. "Is something wrong with the investigation?"

The man scowled. "Other than the fact your pretty little friend did almost everything in her power to prevent being tracked, located, or otherwise understood? No."

"Or maybe you're just incompetent," I snarled, pushing James hand off my mouth and stepping forward to challenge the strange man.

He just looked intrigued. "You her boyfriend, kid?"

"No," I muttered, slightly put off.

He moved forward, limping slightly. "You know who I am, punk?"

"Why should I care?" I barked defiantly. Something about the word punk really sets me off. I could feel James behind me, silently urging be to shut my face, but I ignored him. Along with all of my better judgment.

"Because I'm Alastor Moody, smart-ass. I'm the Head of the Aurors Department and just about the best damn thing you'll get for your girl. So why don't you sit your ass down and we'll talk later?"

"Alastor," Dumbledore cautioned, but Moody shrugged him off.

"I want to see all her closest friends in your office within the hour, Dumbledore. Get me the Malfoy brat, too. And for Merlin's sake, get them to stop the waterworks before they come in." Moody stumped out without another word, leaving a hall of shell-shocked students behind him.

The girls were sobbing. Remus's face was etched with grief. I was furious. And James... James wasn't anything at all.

* * *

"These are her closest friends?" Moody asked skeptically. We stood stiffly in a line in front of him.

"Yes," James answered for us. He was still unemotional, something I'd never known him to be. He was distant, and I could no longer reach him. I'd ranted and raved and he'd just sat there like a dead rabbit.

It seemed cruel, not to have my best mate when I'd just found out the girl I loved was missing.

"Huh," Moody grunted. "They're an odd bunch."

"Excuse us for being different," I muttered under my breath. My issues with authority were only amplified by Aria's loss.

Moody ignored me. He pointed at Malfoy, who was at the right end of the line, looking bored. "Going down the row, tell me the first word that comes to mind when you think of Aria." Lily opened her mouth, no doubt to inquire how exactly it was pertinent to the investigation, but Moody cut her off. "No questions. Just go."

Lucius sneered. "Wild."

"Blossoming," Lily sobbed.

"Dramatic," Kristy sniffled.

"Impulsive." Rayne.

"Forgiving." Regulus.

"Open-minded." Remus.

"Beautiful." Peter, with drool.

Everyone looked at me expectantly. Grudgingly, I murmured, "Exceptional."

James seemed to consider the question. "Changing."

Narcissa crossed her arms. "Chameleon."

"Huh," Moody grunted, for about the fifty-millionth time. He surveyed us. "You two." He pointed to James and Narcissa. "I want to speak to you."

Lily rubbed her eyes. "Why them?"

Moody held up a sheaf of paper. "They gave pretty much the same answer the girl herself did in an essay you tykes wrote in first year. Therefore, they probably have the clearest and most complete view of her." He flapped his hand. "The rest of you can get out."

We left, dismissed. I stomped down the halls. Now, I couldn't even help her. What next?

James, Narcissa and Moody straggled in around dinner time. Moody had a few words with Dumbledore, and then he and his Aurors departed. James collapsed beside me, utterly exhausted.

Lily tugged his shirt. "James? What's happening?"

"Nothing," he stated bleakly, "We've done everything we can. Now, we wait."

* * *

I laid on my bed in my dorm. For once, the room was silent, each of us swimming in our own private pool of misery. I tossed and turned where I laid. I felt illogically guilty, like I should be doing something. Like I'd failed her. Right now, I could only hope she wasn't gone... for good.

There were so many things I regretted. Having that silly argument with her, for one. Letting things get awkward between us. I'd always been an advocate for speaking your mind and being open, but I'd let my anger over my stupid brother clam me up and turn me into someone I didn't want to be. And it was practically the last memory she had of me.

I wished I could have been the One for her. I wished I could have given her that. Loving her had been a pain in the ass at times, but it had made me happier than I'd ever been before too. _She_ had made me happy.

I punched my pillow. Maybe I shouldn't have bugged her so much about the whole dating, second chance thing. Maybe I should've let her go her own way and not tried so hard to keep her to myself when she obviously didn't feel it. I kept trying to force a connection that obviously wasn't there. Physical attraction, yeah, but mentally? She'd kept denying me and I'd been so stubborn to give up. What an idiot I was.

As I fell asleep, I promised that if Aria came back, I'd be whatever she wanted. As long as she came back.

* * *

**Remus's POV:**

I tried to concentrate on reading but who could when a friend is off who-knows-where in who-knows-what kind of situation?

Aria and I hadn't ever been truly close, per-say. But we could've been. At least, I thought so. After I'd told her about my 'furry little problem', she'd been so accepting. I'd thought, with time, we could become good friends. Nearly as good as James, Sirius and I were.

But now, potentially, I might never have the chance to get to know her, really and truly.

I was always the rational one. But now I couldn't wrap my mind around the idea that Aria might not exist anymore. She'd always seemed so alive to me, so full of light. I couldn't imagine her dead.

I regretted the fact that I might never be able to tell her how much it had changed me, her simple acceptance. She hadn't even blinked an eye before extending her hand to me. I would be eternally grateful. I wished I could've told her.

Now, it could be too late.

* * *

**James's POV:**

At some point, I just got up and left my dorm. No one bothered stopping me, even though it was way after hours. I even passed McGonagall in the halls and she just turned away.

I headed down to the Quidditch pitch. It had kinda been our place, you know? We'd really, truly met on the Quidditch field, just this year. I'd seen her fly. I've never seen anything so graceful.

Call me crazy, but I'd always thought of Aria as a bird. Free to fly from place to place, unhindered by the normal boundaries. She always fit, wherever she went, because the sky is a neutral territory. Anyone can go there.

That's why it was so horribly ironic that _she_ had been abducted. She wasn't someone like Sirius who was blatantly on one side of the fence. She hovered in the middle. Almost like an ambassador. Which I suppose made her easy to blame, when it came down to it.

I'm more observant than most people give me credit for. I knew Sirius was distraught and I knew he needed me there. But I didn't know how I could be there for him when I could barely keep it together. Normally I was a heart-on-your-sleeve kind of person. But I knew if I let go of my emotions now, I'd make myself crazy. So I'd taken a lesson from Aria and hidden myself behind a mask of complete blankness so I could ignore those pitying looks everyone was giving me and try to find my sanity.

I flopped down on the grass, spread-eagle. I'd failed her. Completely and utterly. I'd been no help during Moody's interrogation. I'd been a lousy friend for encouraging her to meet us in Diagon Alley, even though McGonagall had expressively forbidden her to go out on her own. I was such a fool for believing nothing could go wrong. And now I couldn't even properly miss her without completely loosing my head.

I'd never even told her how much she really meant to me. It was common knowledge that I considered her among my dearest friends, but she'd always been so much more than that.

To me, she'd been the little sister I'd never had.

Rough housing, teasing, spilling our hearts out... Every time she ran up to me in the halls and called, "James!" with that big smile on her face that she reserved just for me... I'd grown to hate when Sirius hit on her because I felt like I had to protect her from him. She was so delicate sometimes... and I was the only one who saw that. I _wanted_ to be the only one who could see inside her heart, wanted to be the only person in her life.

It wasn't romantic. I'd worried about that at first. But when I hugged her, it was definitely platonic, even if the feeling was strong. When I held her, I felt like I'd found my home, all in a person. My parents were great, but they were busy. They'd never been home all that much. I'd been raised by servants that cycled in and out every couple of months. I'd never really had a feeling of home. But I found it in her. I found it in a little sister.

It was killing me that I couldn't be there for her, couldn't protect her. I'd give anything to trade places with her, so she'd be safe, here at home.

I'd give anything to keep that smile safe.

* * *

**Lily's POV:**

I couldn't stop staring at the bed.

It was completely empty. All of her stuff was gone. The contents of her wardrobe weren't spilling out of the trunks like usual. There were no single high heels kicked under the bed.

I remembered when she'd hid down there, after telling the story of her and Sirius's relationship in front of the whole school. It was such an Aria thing to do; completely random, spontaneous and illogical.

In our friendship, I had always been the rational, sensible one. Aria had taken the lead, constantly pulling us into one scrape or another. And she'd brought me laughing and screaming the whole way.

What often surprised people was that I was Aria's oldest friend, other than Narcissa and Regulus. We'd met the first day of Hogwarts and had been the only Gryffindor girls in our year. Of course, we'd immediately bonded.

We used to be so close... even when Kristy transferred to Hogwarts in our third year, we'd still called each other best friends.

Maybe she'd never meant it, but I certainly had.

Yet, suddenly we'd grown apart. I'd have to say it started back in fifth year, when we'd both started dating. Aria became more distant. She'd be absent for half the night and sneak back in with her clothes rumpled and her hair in disarray. She thought I didn't know what she got up to. But even naive little me could guess.

That's when I first learned she was keeping secrets from me. I got scared. This girl knew everything there was to know about me, but how much was she hiding? I could know next to nothing about her. Looking back, I was right. I didn't know even the smallest thing about her, really.

I started drawing away, keeping a good, high wall between us. And it had lasted to this year, when I'd thought we might finally be true besties again. And then Rayne and James happened.

Rayne was so like me, I couldn't help but like her. We became friends quickly and soon enough, she was my best friend. But we were too alike. She couldn't shock me like Aria could. And I missed that.

Aria found James around the same time. I'd never seen her click with someone so instantly. It was watching him with her that made me realize I loved James. And I'd become so horribly jealous of both of them. Aria, for taking some of James's attention away from me, and James, for being someone Aria could open up to without even trying.

And now she was gone. I could never have a chance to apologize. And say she was one of my best friends, even if I wasn't one of hers.

* * *

**Rayne's POV:**

Weird to think you could find a friend in the girl your boyfriend cheated on you with. But I had.

A casual friendship at first that had built into this. Because of her, I was living in the Gryffindor dorms and I considered Lily Evans my best friend.

Aria and I had never had bucket-loads in common. Out of all of my friends, I was the quietest, the one least likely to tease and more likely to study. I was, after all, a different breed. The Ravenclaw to their Gryffindor. I had only become friends with Aria out of a common situation, at first.

Which is not saying we weren't close now. We were. And I was worried like heck for here. It was hurting me, inside and out. I was just glad I wasn't even closer to her, like Lily, James or Sirius. The fire was eating them alive.

It was useless to trying to sleep. I took out a piece of parchment and quill and I wrote down everything I knew about Aria. The good and the bad. I listed it neatly and carefully, in my best handwriting.

I could only hope it wasn't a eulogy.

* * *

**Kristy's POV:**

I was wearing my bunny PJs in honor of her. She'd must have arranged to have our presents sent before she was abducted, I guessed, because we all had something. The bunny PJs were her gift to me.

I stared down at the pants and imagined the bunnies hopping off them. I watched as they hopped around the room. With a blink, they were back on my pants. I'd always had a very active imagination. When I imagined things, I could almost believe they were real.

Like now. I pretended Aria was walking into the room, her long hair swinging and a huge smile spread across her face. She'd hug me first, 'cause I was the closest and whisper something suggestive in my ear about Rick and my shenanigans over break. I'd laugh and begin to tell her everything and she'd clap her hands over her ears and tell me to shut up.

I let the the image fade from my mind. Imaginings were pale and unrealistic in comparison to the real thing. I couldn't truly imagine Aria, in all her many facets. She was just so _herself..._

I'd always been envious of her popularity. She always had the spotlight. Anytime I'd do something, she'd overshadow it. The worst thing was that she didn't even do it on purpose.

Sirius dumped me and she made a scene 'cause he was in love with her.

I got with Rick and she agreed to talk in front of the school about her and Sirius.

I did the deed with Rick and she got kidnapped.

I felt bad about the last one, but it was true. She always had the bigger problem, the more exciting news. I'd wanted to be like her.

But not anymore.

* * *

**Maxie's POV:**

Sometimes I wondered about what it would be like to be Aria Colette. To have Sirius's undivided attention without trying. Those were my second favorite type of daydreams, right after the ones where Sirius realizes she isn't worthy of him and suddenly sees how sexy and attractive I am. Either way, all my daydreams ended with snogging him.

I was with Amelia in the 6th year girl's dorm. The room was all quiet. Everyone was worrying about Aria.

Me too. I mean, I hated her and I totally thought Sirius was too good for her, but I didn't want her to be kidnapped. I just wanted her involved in some horrible Quidditch accident that would leave her scarred for life and so unattractive that Sirius would have to reject her. He would be distraught to see his former love was hideous, but I would comfort him and he would turn and see me. Then he would kiss me gently as the sunset. He wouldn't want to wait, so we'd run off that very night to get married and then he would make passionate love to me until dawn. And-

Amelia elbowed me. "Poor Sirius. He must be feeling awful. We should give him something to cheer him up tomorrow."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. She was trying to steal him from me, wasn't she? How dare she! The claws were out! "Amelia, under Sirius Fan Club rule #149, gifts to Sirius are not allowed unless it is his birthday or Christmas. You know this."

Her fingers twitched. "You're trying to keep Sirius to yourself!"

"You're trying to steal Sirius from us!"

With a wild yowl, I flung myself at my new enemy. Really, you just can't trust anyone anymore.

* * *

**McGonagall's POV:**

I sat in my office. The room was impeccably clean, as always. I required nothing less than perfection. Everything in my life had its place. I filed everything neatly into its own little spot. Not one hair was out of place on my head, nor one thing out of place in my life. Until now.

I had sworn, after Daniel died, that I wouldn't let anyone else in. I enjoyed order. Chaos, however appealing, only led to sadness and heartbreak.

But, of course, I had slipped up. This Aria Colette, with her blonde hair and bright eyes had reminded me so much of Daniel. When we were young, he would pitch me into gales of laughter with his antics. Everything he did, he committed to fully. He was extreme by nature and when I was with him, I felt free to let down my hair a little. In the end, his adventures had killed him.

I had known, just known, that caring for this girl would do no good. I'd known it would end badly, but she reminded me of all the best times in my life. I had taken her in, brought her into my heart, even thought of her like a daughter. And see where it had gotten me.

* * *

**Lucius's POV:**

Every night was a party in the Slytherin Common Room. I observed the strobe lights and scantily clad girls dancing from my prime location on the center couch. Narcissa was perched next to me, but I ignored her. She was insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

Narcissa was boring. Plain pudding, nothing to differentiate her from the thousand of other puddings out there. Now, Aria, she was interesting. Defiant, impertinent, and most definitely a traitor, but interesting.

Contrary to popular opinion, I did care for her. After all, we had been engaged, once upon a time.

Almost no one remembered that anymore, but when we were born, we were intended for each other. Our parents hadn't been raised to think of the marriage of cousins at incest. They saw our marriage as a way to ensure the pure and unpolluted bloodline of our family.

In later years, they realized that the public opinion of first cousins marrying would doom our union. That's when my father engaged my to Narcissa. But I had never truly thought of Aria as a cousin. I'd been raised to think of her another way and by the time the engagement was broken, the damage was done. I'd even kissed her.

Oh yes. Aria liked to pretend her first kiss was with Sirius, but it was truly with me. It wasn't much of anything, but it was definitely a kiss.

I never loved her. Please. Like I would ever allow such a sappy emotion. But I did desire her. And I still did.

Aria was a free spirit, a bird that had escaped the cage. Perhaps that explained my desire. I wanted to trap her, pin her wings, see her give into me. Power was the ultimate seducer, and to have that over someone who so regularly defied it... it was intoxicating.

I wondered absentmindedly if she would be just as tempting once my aunt had broken her. Probably not. It was such a pity that such a strong spirit had to be shattered for the sake of the Cause. I felt a small twinge of guilt and dismissed it easily. I'd stopped paying attention to my conscience a long time ago.

A girl with curly blonde hair swayed in front of me. I close my eyes and pretended she was Aria as I slid my hand under her skirt.

* * *

**Narcissa's POV:**

I turned away so I didn't have to watch Lucius finger the whore in front of him. I pretended he was snubbing me publicly. I had bigger things to worry about.

Aria. Aria was gone.

I had told the investigator everything I knew and suspected. He had dismissed my theories as conjecture. But I knew I was right.

It had to be Aria's mother. Nothing else made sense. She wouldn't be at their old manor, obviously, but she would choose a location that she knew well. People like what they're familiar with. Christiana was no exception.

Aria would be alive, at least for the moment. She was a strong witch. The Death Eaters would want to recruit her for their Cause. She would never agree, because she was such an idiot and placed no value on her own life. She would resist and they would torture her until she either agreed or went insane.

It was so bloody obvious, a six-year-old could figure it out. To be dismissed by the supposedly 'professional' Aurors was a slap in the face. I could tell they didn't trust me because of my last name. It was absurd. If Aria died because of them, there would be hell to pay.

Aria was the single most important person in my life. My best friend since childhood, the one person I could tell everything to. She was the one true thing in the fakeness that was my life. Without her, I would've become a true ice doll a long time ago. She was my comfort, the warm body beside me in my bed when I needed someone there. She was the wildness I so dearly lacked. I remembered the first time she drug me into a club. I'd been cautious, and frightened, but she'd pulled me onto the floor and we'd danced until dawn.

We'd gotten drunk together, gotten high together. We'd given all that shit up together. We'd always been there, the other half to each other. We fit together like puzzle pieces. She wouldn't be Aria without me and I wouldn't be 'Cissy' without her.

It didn't matter that she was my competition in a lot of ways. She was mine and I wouldn't let her be hurt.

I stood up abruptly. I had work to do.

Twenty minutes later, I slipped into the Gryffindor Common Room It was late enough that no one was in the main room. I carefully climbed up the stairs to the top boy's dorm and knocked on the door.

James flung open the door, and his face contorted with shock at seeing me.

I stepped past him into the room. My cousin and the werewolf boy stared at m.

"I'm going to start searching for Aria," I announced. "Who's going to help me?"

* * *

**Sirius's POV:**

I kinda thought Narcissa was joking when she showed up in the middle of the night demanding we help her find Aria. It only sank in when she came and sat down at the Gryffindor table the next morning.

When I saw her sitting there, I thought she was Aria for a minute. They were the same size, after all, and Aria's hair was around the same length, though it was a darker gold and curly. But still. Wishful thinking I guess.

She was just sitting there, poring over some books. James tapped her on the shoulder. "Are you sure it's safe for you to sit here?"

"I honestly don't give a fuck anymore," she said blandly, never looking up. "If it can help Aria, I'll do anything."

I didn't like my cousin, but I could admit she had guts.

I slid in next to her. "What're you looking at?"

She pointed at three different maps. "Those all overlook the Colette estate and its surrounding land. These look at Christiana's childhood home, Malfoy Manor, and it's land. And this book speaks on abandoned buildings near pureblood mansions. I think we should look at these places first." She lifted her eyes to mine and, for once, they seemed to be burning with something.

"You really love her, don't you?" Remus commented softly.

Narcissa rolled her eyes. "Of course I do. She's my best friend." She flipped her hair. "I was thinking we should keep your girls out of this. They don't seem to handle danger as well."

James hesitated. "I think they can cope."

My cousin just shrugged, apathetic as ever. "Just make sure they don't get in my way. Understand?"

She scooped up her books and swept off. We all gaped after her.

Peter tugged on Remus's sleeve. "Remus, is that what you call a bitch?"

James grinned. It was the first emotions I'd seen on his face for a while. "Peter," he said, "That is what you call an awesome, kick-ass bitch."

* * *

We worked for hours each day. School work came second. Even Lily and Rayne got behind. We immersed ourselves in the search. We had several criteria that we looked for.

1. Close to a location Christiana was familiar with.

2. Decent sized (Narcissa was positive that Christiana would require at least six rooms and that would be 'slumming it' for her)

3. Had been inhabited by wizards of decent social rank

4. In decent condition

5. Not close to any towns or other houses

It was harder than one would have thought. Narcissa kept discounting each location for one reason or another. One time she disqualified a place because the kitchen was connected to the dinning room. It was ridiculous.

In the end, it was Peter that found it.

Most of the time, we didn't bother giving Peter work. But he sat by and watched the rest of us.

James slumped over his book. "The words are all blurring together," he groaned.

Narcissa's hand was scrunched in her hair. "Why can't we find anything? There has to be something!"

I swiveled my head to glare at her. "Maybe because a certain someone keeps dismissing things for idiotic reasons."

She sniffed. "Just because you lack the ability to distinguish, Sirius..."

I jumped to my feet. "Sometimes I think you really don't give a damn about anything!"

Narcissa opened her mouth, no doubt to give a snide retort in a very calm voice, when Peter interrupted her.

"Such a pretty house!" he murmured as he gazed wide-eyed at a floor plan that had fallen out of one of the books.

Narcissa frowned. "Give me that!" She snatched it from Peter's hands. Her face paled as she stared at it. "This is it."

"What?" James was frozen in shock. "How-"

Narcissa shook her head. "I'm so stupid. I should've thought of this earlier."

"What?"

She looked up at me. "It's a house, a get-away really, that Mr. Colette built his wife in secrecy when Aria was born. No one but a few people knew about it because it _was_ a get-away. It's built to blend in and be unnoticeable. It's not on any maps. I don't even know how they could have gotten a floor plan here. It's perfect. This is it."

We all stared at each other for a few dead seconds. And then we were racing for the Great Hall.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Narcissa shouted. Heads turned. It was dinner time. We skidded to a halt in front of the teacher's table. "We have to speak to Moody!"

As soon as she had said that, the doors of the Great Hall slammed open and there stood a very distinctive Auror.

"Moody!" I called. "We know where Aria is! She's at some get-away place her dad built her mom! It's only a few miles from the Colette estate!"

He just stared at us. It was then I noticed that his cloths were covered in blood.

"You kids are good," he grumbled. "That's exactly where we found her."

* * *

**Cliffhanger!**

**I'm in the middle of writing the next chap. I think it's going to have a whole bunch of unnecessary crap in it, but oh well. I'll try and edit. And it will be Aria!**

**Please review and tell me your thoughts!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	37. Lunch Money and Therapy

**Hey guys! **

**Golly gee wiz, it's been forever! This chapter took a lot of editing. There were four whole other characters that I almost introduced, and about a million side stories, before I decided this had to be just about Aria, and her getting through things. So this is the 6,000 words shorter version. Maybe I'll tell the other story some other day.**

**I hope you enjoy it. After this, we have about two chapters left, according to my calculations. Four at the most. Aria's voice is kind of dimming for me. She's figuring herself out and she's almost done with the journey I set out to tell. It's a kind of scary feeling.**

**Read, and have fun!**

**Disclaimer: I'm the one into crazy people. Not J.K.R.**

* * *

**Aria's POV:**

I had burned myself out. I had forced enough magic out of me, without a wand, to break handcuffs and set a house on fire. My body had become the funnel my wand usually acted as. My body was done.

I woke for seconds before my body brought me back under. I caught snippets; a whirling blue eye, black cloaks streaked with ruby red, smoke staining the sky. Later, it was the bland and sterile walls of a hospital, or a mental institution. Once, I woke to a wand pointed at me. I panicked. It was my mother, come back to torture me into obedience. I started screaming, my body contorting, dreading the pain yet to come.

Hands groped at me and I screeched louder and flung myself onto the floor. I had to get away, had to leave. I started scrambling across the floor. Escape. Loud voices called after me, but I ignored them. They were Death Eaters, had to be. I had to run, had to-

I blanked out again.

I drifted. I dreamed.

My world spun together. Reality was a nightmare, something to be shied away from an avoided. I lived in dreams, in imaginings.

In my dreams, I was a baby polar bear, sheltered from the world by my fluffy mama bear, who adored me and would never leave me alone.

Sometimes, I was conscious enough to realize I was descending into insanity. I disregarded this. What did it matter? I was a polar bear. I was safe. I was warm. I was happy.

Sometimes, I saw peoples' faces in my head. I looked away, refused to name them. Why hadn't they saved me? Didn't they love me?

Occasionally, I woke and saw things. The spinning-eye man hung around. A young looking blonde man, no, boy, stared at me. My hands were restrained once again and I writhed in my bonds. I stood in a hall with no idea of how I'd gotten there.

I was a baby eagle, in a nest high off the ground. I was the only one in the nest, so my mother loved me all the more. But she was gone most of the time, hunting, and I was lonely.

I began to grow more aware of myself. My mind moved sluggishly still, but I started to think. I could name the faces that floated in front of my closed eyes and noticed the pain in my body. I was awake for longer, but I shut my eyes and refused to acknowledge the real world. I was a baby eagle. I was safe and warm.

Who needed reality? My 'friends' didn't care. My kidnapping had made that much clear. After all, my mum had said that Lily had wanted my face shredded to pieces. Last time I checked, that wasn't friendship.

I was a baby lion cub, living on the savannah. I was the only cub of the pride leader and my mother protected me fiercely. She taught me to hunt, locate water and a lead a pride. She was not loving , but she taught me well.

But then I grew up and fell in love with a male from another pride. My mother grew upset and she clawed my face. I howled in pain.

And I woke up.

* * *

I was lying in a hospital bed. The sheets were white and rough and I kicked them off sluggishly.

I was wearing an ill-fitting hospital gown in a pasty green. The straps on my wrists and ankles were gone. I shifted and felt a shooting pain in my chest.

"It's your ribs," a young man's voice stated. I turned my head to look at him. The man was dressed in jeans, a t-shirt, and a hoodie. His sandy blonde hair flopped over his brow He looked no more than eighteen, but he wore a name plate identifying him as Doctor Taylor Ibsen. He had to be twenty-five. Bizarre.

He turned around to pick something up and I scanned him instinctively. Nice ass.

He shuffled over to my bedside. "Here's some medicine for the pain."

"You're my doctor?" I asked skeptically. My voice was rough and husky. How long had it been since I had spoken?

He blushed. I knew his type. The shy, nerdy boy that hid in the back of the room and had never spoken to an attractive woman in his life. Not that I would qualify as attractive at the moment. "Yes, well, not medically. I'm your psychologist."

"Psychologist?" I let the question hang.

He sat beside me carefully. "Do you remember what happened?"

I wet my lips. "I remember running away. I don't know how I got here."

He ruffled his hair. I though instinctively of James and flinched. "The Aurors found you because of the fire. They brought you here to St. Mungos. You've been here for two weeks."

"Oh." My brain felt all fuzzy. "What have I...?"

Doctor Taylor looked towards the door. "You've been sleeping and healing mostly."

I looked at him dead on. "Liar. I've been acting crazy, haven't I?" He hesitated and I rolled my eyes. "Don't pad things, Doc. I can deal."

"Can you?" He tilted his head to observe me. "I rather thought you'd had to deal with enough recently."

I just stared at him. "Listen Doc, DT, whatever your name is... I appreciate the thought. But at this point, I rather have honesty. I'm sick of being lied to and played with and deceived."

He blinked. "I understand, Miss Colette, but I think it would be rather inadvisable to discuss your status when you've finally awoken. Perhaps you would like to do, uh, something else first?"

I groaned. "Let me guess. This is your first big case out of the university. Normally, you're stuck listening to teenagers whine about their sex lives, even though you graduated first in your class. You signed up with St. Mungos because you wanted to help people in need, but in reality, you're crap at relating to people. Am I right?" He was staring at me. "And it's Aria."

He drew himself up. "I am the best psychologist in this hospital."

A smile flickered over my lips. He was fun to play with. "You didn't answer my question."

"I didn't need to. You're quite intuitive."

I smirked. "Try telling my friends that."

He smiled a little. "Let me amend that: you're quite intuitive when you actually bother to pay attention. Which doesn't happen often because you tend to be quite busy with your own private issues."

That threw me off a little. He wasn't supposed to see me as well as I saw him. I swallowed. "You mean I'm self-absorbed."

He shrugged. "I think you often have a variety of semi-complex things going on in your life. You have to devote your attention to these things first, and the rest of the world second."

I ducked my head. "Isn't this a rather heavy conversation for the first five minutes I'm awake after two weeks?"

His professional and clear-seeing eyes deserted him and he shifted back to the abashed school boy. "Sorry. Um... do you need anything?"

I took a deep breath. "Could I have a full length mirror?"

His head jerked up. "Why would you want that?"

I didn't bother responding. Simply lifted my arm for him to see. It was stick thin, practically skeletal, and ringed in layers of smooth, white, rope-like scars. "It's like this all over, isn't it?"

I watched his adam's apple bob in his throat. Silently, he waved his wand and the air shimmered and waved as it became reflective in front of me. And I could see myself.

My hair was chopped unevenly, hovering around earlobe length, and matted from weeks writhing in my tiny hospital bed. I was smaller, bony now, half starved because I'd not been fed, or, if I had, I'd puked it back up. And worst of all, running over my skin, in various degrees of thickness, were the long, white scars. I moved one of my hands to touch the scar on the back of my neck that I'd had since forever. It was the exact duplicate of a hundred more scars all over my body.

I'll be the first to admit that vanity is a weak point for me. No matter what else I was, I'd always been 'The Pretty One'. I knew at least part of my popularity was based on my face. It was something I'd always relied on, something I took comfort in.

I suppose, logically, I was still pretty. But not really and truly. With my hair cropped, my body all bones, and the scars all over, I looked like exactly what I was. An abandoned and abused child. The very last shield I hid behind had been torn apart.

I heard a high keening sound echo through the room. As I burst into heaving tears, I realized it was me.

The Doctor tried to calm me, his hands awkward on my back. But I shoved him off and heard him call for assistance. The nurses' hands groped at me, tried to muffle my cries, put a stopper on my tears. I twisted and writhed in their grip, sobbing on. If I wasn't pretty, what was I?

* * *

I didn't see Doctor Taylor (who by this point was DT to me) again for a week. I was glad.

My days fell into a mind-numbing pattern. I rarely left my room, only for bathroom breaks exactly at eight in the morning, one in the afternoon and nine at night. Meals were served like clockwork. A healer visited me twice a day, at exactly the same time. I noticed they didn't let me near mirrors again.

Somehow, they got a hold of my school trunks. I no longer had to dress in hospital gowns. I rejected most of my old clothing, though. It showed too much skin.

I started doing small amounts of exercise as I healed. They had a yoga instructor come in occasionally and help me practice. I started gaining back some of my weight in muscle.

I pieced together the story of my rescue. I'd been with my mother for somewhere around three weeks. Then my magic had gone out of control and busted me out, while setting the house on fire. I'd run about two miles south, quite a feat for someone as physically trashed as I was. The Aurors had seen the smoke from the fire and come to rescue me, led by Moody, the Head of the Auror department. He was the man with the spinning blue eye. Apparently he'd carried me to St. Mungos personally. He checked in on me daily, but I never saw him. I'd been out in crazy-land for two weeks. And now I was back, now that my brain could supposedly handle what had happened to me. My mother had never been found. She was presumed dead.

It was boring in my cell-like bedroom. I drew for hours a day, awful pictures that even I didn't understand. And some that were far too understandable. A recurring theme emerged. A small girl draped in black, left, abandoned, her hands tied together by a blood red string and a disembodied hand clenched around her neck. The same small girl, shackled to a wall, a slit across her throat. Or carving out her own eye with a small, jagged knife.

* * *

The time for my first official counseling session came. Which meant our routine was broken so I could meet with DT at one.

I was ushered into a blank, clean room. DT sat uncomfortably in a large armchair in the middle of the far wall. There was a plush leather couch directly across from him.

"Welcome Aria," he mumbled, occupied with his papers. I curled up on the couch, body squeezed into a small ball, my oversized sweats masking the shape of my body. I was a blob of grey, with a tuft of sullied gold on top. My fingers picked anxiously at the creamy leather.

"I want to get out of here."

DT blinked owlishly at me. His blond hair was ruffled and out of order, like he'd just woken up. "Excuse me?"

I crossed my arms and closed my eyes. "I don't want to stay at this hospital any longer. I want to go home."

"To Hogwarts?"

I shook my head and the short strands of my hair whipped my face. "No. I want to go back to my mansion." I opened my eyes to glare at him. "In my understanding, since my mother has been deemed dead, and she technically owned all of our possessions in Europe, I've inherited everything. Correct?"

DT inclined his head. "This is true. But Aria..." He leaned forward. "Why would you not want to go to Hogwarts?"

I pursed my lips. I knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to get me with some psycho-mumbo-jumbo. "I don't have to talk to you. I want out."

His lips turned down at the corners. "I'm afraid you are in no mental state to be allowed out of this hospital, Aria. Until we can talk through the experiences you've had and help you to process them, I can't-"

"I won't stay!" My hands rose to tug at my hair, as if I could pull it back to it's former length. "I can't! I can't! I want out!" My shrieks turned into howling sobs and I was dragged out of the counseling room without further ado.

* * *

For the next session, I dressed to bug DT, put him off of his game. I put on a dusky red bustier from my clubbing days and a tiny, tight-fitting jean skirt. Six inch red heels completed the look. In other words, I looked like a slut and not a classy one. A cheap, totally-smashed slut. I smirked as I lowered myself into the couch opposite DT. The fight was on.

"Long time, no see, DT." I wasn't going for convincing or subtle. I was going for desperate and ready-to-throw-myself-on-just-about-anyone.

"Hello, Aria." His eyes avoided my body. He shuffled some papers in front of him. "Now, I want to ease into this. I'd like to talk about your hobbies-"

"Socializing, drawing, drinking, sleeping with older men."

"-your goals-"

"Owning a jewelry store, fucking all the men in England."

"-and your perceptions of yourself-"

"I'm sorry, that is way too big a word for my limited vocabulary. I stopped paying attention to school in my fifth year and instead gave blow jobs to the guys in my classes under the tables."

"Aria!"

DT looked like he was about to rip his hair out. I did my best 'what-me?' smile.

He took several deep breaths, then spoke. "I understand that this is difficult for you and that you're used to using your sexuality as a method of self-defense. But in order to help you, I need you to cooperate."

The words tumbled out of my mouth before I even thought about them. "Wow, I didn't realize you were into submission DT. I'm more of a rough and gritty girl myself."

And there was silence.

He gaped at me. "Did you just... proposition me?" His voice squeaked. Had to be a virgin.

I raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you've never been flirted with before."

"Of course I have!" He bridled with indignation. "I... No. I'm not letting you distract me." He ruffled his hair, a nervous habit. "Perhaps we should discuss why and when you began utilizing your sexuality as a way of disguising yourself."

I picked at the fake nails I'd put on for the occasion. "I've no idea what you're going on about."

He threw his papers on the floor. "Maybe I should just list what I already know about you. You're seventeen, as of October 11. As a child, you were physically and emotionally abused by your mother, as your father looked on. At a very young age, you began using physical affection as a way of counter-acting this, as is shown in the touchy-feely-ness in all of your friendships and particularly in your relationship with Narcissa, with whom you are incredibly close. It's very difficult for you to put your trust in people, because you were raised in an environment that encourages self-sufficiency and deception. Only recently have you begun opening up, which has coincided with your friend committing suicide and yourself being kidnapped and tortured. Thus, you've put your walls bak up and you have no intention of letting me in. But in order for you to recover, in order for you to be released, you need to let me in, Aria."

I stared at him, my acting gone. "How'd you know all that about me?"

He scuffed his foot on the ground. "Some is inferred. The rest... I spoke to your friends and teachers."

That caught my attention. "You snooped into my life!"

DT had the sense to look ashamed. "It was essential... to your treatment..." His words died out as I glared.

"You had no right!" I hissed, my hands balling into fists.

"I had every right. I'm supposed to help you, Aria, and I can't do that unless you either talk to me, or I get that information from other sources. When it became clear exactly how closed off you were, I decided to get your back round from your friends, hoping it would give me another insight on you besides my own." He stood up and came to sit beside me on the sofa. I was surprised the heat of my anger wasn't burning him up already. His hand extended and caught one of my own. "They are very worried about you, you know. They haven't forgotten you at all. In fact, if you had set that fire a few hours later, they would've been responsible for your rescue."

"What?" I reeled back in shock, the surprise disabling my anger.

"They worked together and ended up figuring out where you were. They're very concerned."

I searched his eyes for the classic signs of lying, but his gaze was wide and truthful. I could feel my hand shaking in his.

And then I was collapsing, sobbing, clinging to him. I didn't know him at all, but for two seconds, he had reminded me of Sirius, who could see me so clearly. Even if the information was second hand, I could feel Sirius speaking through him to me. I could see him in the black of my closed eyelids. I had to get better. I had to get better for him.

* * *

From then on, Sirius was my ghost. My own little haunting, pushing me to get better. When DT asked a hard question, when I wanted to clam up, I envisioned him next to me, nudging me with his elbow. Saying '_Come on, Aria. You can do this. You're stronger than your fear'_. And with him, I was.

Of course, DT refused to allow me any contact with the outside world. He said that I had to be treated without relying on anyone. I needed to stand on my own, without Cissy or Sirius or James. I had to keep it together without them, so that I could see them.

Sometimes, he dropped tidbits, though.

"The Gryffindor/Slytherin Quidditch match is in a month, you know. Sirius still hasn't replaced you. Everyone is admonishing him for being sentimental, but he says they play with you or not at all." DT calmly announced at the beginning of our session.

My head jerked up from the drawings I'd brought to show him. (Apparently art was a good way of analyzing my mental state or something. So I'd drawn a bunch of rainbows and bunnies to show him. See where he got with that). "Oh?" I asked, a lump in my throat. "That's... sweet of him."

DT gave a small smile. "You really do care about him."

"Yes," I answered tersely, shifting in my chair. So sue me. I still wasn't exactly comfortable with the fact that I was in love with Sirius freaking Black. I mean... we hadn't had most uncomplicated relationship.

"So!" DT set aside his papers. "I know we've been delving into what has happened this last year in your school life and your past relationships with Narcissa and Nyx, but now I'd like to shift gears and talk more about how you were these past couple of years. You've made several veiled references to what happened after you dated Sirius in your 5th year, but I'd like a little bit of clarification."

"And this will help my therapy how?" I asked skeptically. Sometimes I felt more like a case study than a patient receiving counseling.

"It is important for us to delve into all aspects of your mind before we can have the full picture and work on restoring your ability to function without a hoard of nurses ready to knock you out at a moments notice." DT folded his hands together, eyes lowered.

There were still so many times I did need my caretakers. Times when I would see my face and not be able to cope with the reality of it, times when my mother's words would slither into my ear and I could not struggle away. Even speaking to DT would do it... if we pushed to hard at my memories of imprisonment in that two-story house, my body would quake and tears would run down my face without my even noticing. I wasn't ready to be let out. Not yet.

I cleared my throat. "I fell in with the wrong crowd, I suppose you could say. I... was looking for a place I could lose myself without anyone remembering. It was so hard, keeping up my facade, but I couldn't let go, not in front of everyone. So, I found clubs. Bad clubs. And I met people that were more than willing to supply me with all sorts of methods of respite from the madness... I did a lot of drugs. I drank a lot. Slept around a lot, mostly with people much older than me. Cissy saw a little of it, but I was the only one that went really bad. I only had one rule, which was to never sleep with the same person twice. Because then they remember you, you see, and I wanted to be anonymous. That's how I got away with it, without anyone finding out." I traced my inner arm absentmindedly. "Except for Lucius. I think he guessed."

"Lucius..." DT tapped his quill on the armrest of his chair. "Your cousin. You seem to have a rather confusing relationship. What exactly does this stem from?"

I pulled away instinctively. "Why? Don't tell me you think that all my emotional issues are coming from the abrupt change in my cousin when I was a small child? Or perhaps that Lucius's physical treatment of me did what my own mother's could not and caused me to begin acting out sexually or some such nonsense?"

He sighed. "Aria, you're lashing out. Obviously, Lucius holds some meaning to you. Tell me."

I swallowed once. And again. And the tears came without warning, bursting out. I wiped them away. "I'm not supposed to talk about it."

His eyes glinted with interest. "You can talk to me, Aria."

I shook my head. My hair was getting longer. "I don't want to."

"Aria..."

I wrapped a hand in my hair. Pulled. "He's my cousin, you know? Your cousin isn't supposed to want you like that."

DT couldn't hide his look of shock. "Aria, did Lucius-"

"Rape me?" I let out a half-hysterical laugh. "No, Merlin, no. We were engaged, when we were kids." His expression was priceless. "It's not very well known. Only Lucius, Cissy and I remember it now... and his dad, I guess. My uncle. My mom and my uncle formed it to keep the blood pure... but I think it was always 'cause they were a little in love with each other. They've always had some creepy bond... I don't know. I don't know. But Lucius and I were raised to be like that with each other, not so much when we were really young, but older. They always wanted me to hold his hand, or sit on his lap. They made me kiss him under the mistletoe once too. And Merlin, as much as I've wanted to erase that from my mind, I can't! Especially when he still wants me like that, because I'm the only thing he can't have. He's obsessed with the fact he can have anything but me. And I love him to death, because he's my cousin and he was my friend, and it hurts me, every time I have to look at him and see what he's become. He could be so much better! So much... he had so much potential... But all that's gone and he's just a pawn now, a greedy, selfish pawn. He's not my Lucius anymore, not the one that I looked up to and loved as a child. He's my only chain, the only thing that will never let me go. No matter how much I run from their world, his world, he's always their to remind me it's my world too. I'll never get away and sometimes I think I don't want to, because it would be so much easier to stay. It hurt less, because you didn't let things hurt. I just don't want to hurt anymore."

DT sat silent for a minute or two, as the tears rolled down my face. Then he handed me a tissue. "Just remember Aria, living is hurting. You can try to hide and you can try to stop it, but in the end, pain is a reminder that we are alive. Without it... what's the point?"

* * *

"Your mother. When did the beating start?"

"She always slapped me, even when I was very young. The harsher stuff didn't start until I was six, I think. I don't know. It seems constant to me."

"How did you cope with that?"

"I tried to be perfect."

"I meant, directly after she abused you."

"Cissy, at first. Clubbing, when I was older. Drugs. Alcohol."

"You were able to sneak out?"

"Yes. You doubt me, DT? 'Cause I'm capable of all sorts of th-"

"Avoiding, Aria. How did Narcissa help you?"

"I don't know. She's Cissy."

"That's not an answer."

"What exactly do you want?"

"Specific examples."

"Ummm... I would go to her, mostly in the evenings after, and she'd put me into her PJs and brush my hair and sing me to sleep in her bed. It was nice."

"Almost as if she was taking care of you as your mother should?"

"However you want to see it. You're the psychologist."

"Was Narcissa ever physically abused?"

"If I answer yes, will you go after her parents?"

"Would that be a bad thing?"

"Now? Yes."

"I'll rephrase. Did you ever assist Narcissa in the manner she assisted you."

"Cissy never needs help from anyone. Even me. She's... completely independent."

"Hmm..."

"You better not be insinuating that I was a bad friend."

"I wasn't."

"I don't believe you."

"Believe what you wish."

"Alright. I believe that was an innuendo."

"How was that innuendo?"

"I don't know. It just was."

"That's not logical."

"Your face isn't logical."

"Lashing out, Aria."

"Fuck lashing out."

"I think this session is done for today."

* * *

"Aria... what happened with your mother in that house?"

"She tortured me."

"Aria... to get you through this we need to re-live it."

"I don't want to fucking re-live it, you asshole! Once was enough!"

"Nurses!"

* * *

"Are you ready to discuss this rationally now?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You have to."

"I don't want to."

"You can't avoid it forever."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that."

"Avoiding things and locking feelings away is part of what caused your emotional instability at this point."

"Damn, and I thought being tortured might of caused it! Gee, I guess I was wrong!"

"Sarcasm is yet another defense mechanism, Aria."

"DT, shut the fuck up."

"You tend to use language when I am right and you don't want me to be."

"I use language all the time, DT. It's called speaking."

"That wasn't what I meant, and you know it."

"When can I leave this place?"

"Not until we discuss your mother."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"It's a stalemate, I guess."

"Fuck stalemate."

* * *

"I don't know who my dad is. As a person. He wasn't around."

"Did he seem to care for your mother?"

"I thought so. I was just a child, though. I'd never seen real love. It could've all been an act."

"Did you love your mother?"

"Of course I did. It's a child's duty to love their parents and obey them."

"You're spitting out doctrine."

"You noticed?"

"Sarcasm."

"This might surprise you, but I actually know when I'm being sarcastic."

"Which is something we are avoiding using in these meetings, aren't we?"

"Yes, DT."

"Rolling your eyes is unnecessary."

"Treating me like a six-year-old is unnecessary too."

"Not when you currently have the emotional stability of one."

"That was a low blow."

"Can we get back on topic?"

"Fine."

"Would you say you still love your mother?"

"No. I hate her."

"Really."

"Yes. No one should do that to someone else. She had to right... she fucked me up for life. If I end up some horribly messed up person, it's all thanks to her, you know?"

"Do you believe you are horribly messed up?"

"I'm in fucking therapy. What do you think?"

"Aria, no one can mess someone up completely. You always retain the right to fix yourself back up. Which is why you here."

"That's not comforting DT."

"Are you sure you don't care for her at all?"

"Of course I care for her. I care if she's dead."

"I don't believe you're being honest."

"And I don't believe that you are honestly wearing that shirt. That is the geekiest thing I've ever seen. Someone's going to attempt to rough you up and steal your lunch money, you know?"

"Thank you for the insight, Aria."

* * *

"Aria, we've been talking about this for days. You need to give me the truth about what happened in that house." DT sighed. It was true. We were, quite literally, at a stalemate. He wouldn't let up on his questions, and I wouldn't answer them.

"Somehow, re-living torture doesn't sound all that appealing to me," I grumbled. It was my sixth week here, including the two I'd been asleep. It was March already. I wanted out.

"It's necessary." Neither of us were paying too much attention to the argument. We'd been saying the exact same words on and off for the past couple of hours.

DT glanced at his watch. "Listen, time is almost up. But, Aria, I need you to speak about it."

"I can't." A pleading note entered my voice. I couldn't talk about it. I just couldn't.

DT sighed again, whole body exhausted. "Well, if you can't talk, why not draw it? Or write about it. You could write it up. It would be equally therapeutic."

I didn't bother responding, simply stood.

"I won't be back again for a few days. Think on it." DT called after me.

* * *

My room was bleak and boring. I laid down on my bed. Picked up a quill and a piece of parchment. Started sketching.

* * *

It was like re-living it. As I drew, I felt like I was there again. I smudged out my own face, because I didn't want to see myself there. I distanced myself from the drawings... or tried to. But that wasn't the point. The point was to live it again and get through it. Live it again and be freed. I worked towards freedom as I drew every agonizing sketch. As I filled in my own face, saw myself there. Remembered how each scar came to be. Remembered not wanting to be anymore. Remembered finding something, something I knew I could hold onto, no matter what. It was so true and so real, nothing could tear it from me. I kept that in mind as I drew.

I refused to leave my room, or eat. If I was going to do this, I was going to do it all in one stroke. I couldn't bear to come back to real life and then have to return to my nightmares.

The room became covered with paper. The nurses whispered behind my back.

I drew.

I finished on the third day, dizzy and light-headed. I ate. I stared at the pictures papering my floor. I scooped them up and hid them under my bed.

The pictures were not enough. They had feeling, yes, plenty of that, but they could not show thoughts. They needed words. They needed...

I picked up paper and pen again. And began writing, from the real beginning of my life.

'_Heels or flats? It's a hard question...'_

* * *

I should've been concerned when I found it very easy to escape from my nurses' care. It didn't speak well for St. Mungo's security. But it worked out for me, so I was more than happy to take advantage.

DT still wasn't back, and I was done. I'd written up the whole story of my seventh year, or at least what had happened thus far. And I'd drawn illustrations to go along with it. It had taken an absurdly short amount of time, but I was done. I was ready to talk. And I needed DT, damn it.

I hadn't been out of the hospital at all. Walking out onto the busy street was a bit of shock.

There were so many _people._

I shrank against the building. It wasn't safe. The last time I'd been out alone in a place like this, I had been-

_Breathe Aria._

"They're just Muggles, it's okay," I murmured to myself as I shakily moved away from the wall and towards the street. Luckily, I was used to be out in Muggle London, thanks to my clubbing days. I held out a timid hand for a taxi, clutching a wrinkled piece of paper in my other palm. DT's business card, which gave his address in case any of his patients needed emergency counseling. He lived just outside Diagon Alley.

A car pulled over, and an older man leaned out. "Where do you want to go, darling?"

"1749 Clemmings Street, please," I answered, voice trembling as I climbed into the back seat of the taxi. I pulled my seat belt on and curled up in a ball.

He glanced in his mirror to look back at me. "You okay, darling?"

"Yes." I turned to look out the window. "Just in a hurry."

He hit the gas pedal and we jerked into motion.

I kept thinking that I saw people as we drove through the city. I'd catch a glimpse of ember hair and I'd think it was Lily, and anyone tall and stately was McGonagall. I chewed at my lip.

What would happen when I returned? Would it be weird? I'd been kidnapped and tortured, after all. What if... what if nothing was ever the same? What if they avoided me with their eyes and their words became fake and meaningless?

The taxi pulled to a stop. "Here you are, darling? Sixteen pounds, please."

I slid the money out of my pocket and stuck it in his hand, nimbly hopping out. "Thank you."

"No problem." He sped off.

I scanned the street. I was right in front of DT's, but I knew I wasn't ready quite yet. Before talking to him, I had to find a way to deal with my insecurities. The buildings around were all small, industrial apartments. Except...

I edged to the right. There was a tattoo and piercing parlor just a few buildings down. A wicked grin lit up my face and I headed straight towards it.

* * *

I didn't get much. Just a piercing on the top of my ear. A reminder.

"You've got some bad scars there, Goldilocks," the woman with the piercing gun commented. "What gang you in?"

I couldn't help laughing, probably semi-hysterically. "None, I'm afraid."

I could tell she didn't believe me, and that made the whole thing so much funnier.

I felt free as I bounced toward DT's house, fingering my sore ear. True, piercing my ear hadn't exactly been the smartest decision, or the most psychologically healthy, but it worked. For me. It gave me the physical confidence I was lacking. I felt almost... pretty.

I pressed DT's buzzer firmly. He picked up in seconds. "Hello?"

I leaned against the wall. "Hey DT, mind letting me up?"

"Aria." A sigh. "I should've known."

The door buzzed open. I went up. DT was already holding the door open for me.

He must have been sleeping. His hair was more all over the place than usual and he was wearing only a white T-shirt and sweats. There were dark rings under his eyes.

His apartment was shabby, with beige colored walls and mismatching furniture. There were piles of paper everywhere, no doubt from his various studies. I picked up one and attempted to examine it before he snatched it out of my hands.

"Would you like to explain why you felt it was necessary to break out of St. Mungo's just to come all the way here to see me?" He fell into an armchair that was vaguely reminiscent of the one in his St. Mungo's office, except a whole lot uglier.

I pulled the two piles of paper out of my bag. "I finished my assignment. And they said you weren't coming back for another couple of days."

He took the stacks and set them carefully on his coffee table, his eyes widening as he realized what I meant. "Aria, this is..."

"I'm ready, DT."

He looked up at me, his eyes examining me, trying to find any indicator I was lying. And then he smiled, slow and wide. "I know you are." He glanced down. "I don't need to talk to you about this. You've already figured things out yourself."

I stood straight. "It wasn't me. If I'd been like Cissy, the same thing would've happened. There was nothing I could to do to stop it. My mom was insane. And I'm choosing not to let her fuck me up too."

"Good for you Aria."

Good for me.

I sat gingerly on the other chair, which looked like it might collapse at any minute. "Even if I am ready to go back... I'm still going to need-"

"Therapy. Weekly. You didn't think I was going to just let you off on your own now? It takes years to fully sort yourself out. Even if you've done the initial job on this, it's still going to need a lot more work." DT yawned. "I'll pay you visits while you're at Hogwarts. That way we can be sure you're doing okay."

I shifted in the chair. "I still don't feel like me all the way. I'm not as... all over the place as I used to be."

DT's smile was soft and sympathetic. "It's called growing up, Aria. Maturing. There's not anything wrong with that. Your friends will love you no matter what."

I tried to stop it, but I couldn't help it. The tears began flowing down my face for what must have been the millionth time. Only this time, they were relieved.

* * *

The next day, we set out, me, DT, and a nurse. And headed towards Hogwarts.

* * *

**Next chapter: Sirius's POV!**

**So, Aria's heading back. What will happen? How will things turn out? I have no idea!**

**Kidding. I do know what's going to happen. It'd be awfully bad if I didn't. (This is why outlines are important. Don't try doing what I did early on in the story and just right whatever comes to mind. It doesn't work!)**

**So, please, please, please REVIEW!**

**And happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I am so grateful for all of you!**


	38. The Girl in Black

**Hey, you all!**

**So, it's been a while. Obviously. I hope you all had lovely holidays... I know I did! Unfortunately, school work and other bad circumstances have kept me from finishing this off as quickly as I wanted to! But now I have this chap and the next one all written, so hopefully this should wrap up faster!**

**This isn't my favorite chapter ever, but it does set up (or finish up) some crucial things... I hope you like it!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Should I really HAVE to do one of these anymore? We all know the story by now... at least I hope...**

* * *

**Sirius's POV:**

I missed Aria like hell.

It wasn't something that went away or eased up. Each day there was a dull ache in my chest, as I entered the Great Hall and saw her seat remained empty.

I knew everyone else felt the same way. Our group was a little quieter, a little more subdued. She was there in every pause, the words between the lines.

I think we were all amazed by the person that stepped in to save Aria's spot for her.

After Aria was found, Narcissa did not just go scampering back to the Slytherin table like we'd all expected. Instead, she stayed with us, mostly silent, but always there. She sat at Aria's place at the table. She wore Aria's uniform. I even caught her attempting to curl her hair once, late at night when everyone else was asleep.

She was just sitting there, in the Common Room. She was wearing Aria's PJs. I could tell because the top hung loose and the shorts were too short. Aria and Narcissa had exactly opposite body types. Narcissa's attempts to wear her clothing would have been hysterical if it wasn't so damn sad.

I was up because I couldn't sleep. I never could anymore. When I did, I dreamed of Aria's face, coated with blood as she screamed. I always woke up in a cold sweat. I watched for a few minutes as Narcissa struggled with her wand. No matter what she did, her hair fell back against her head completely straight. She exhaled loudly and spoke without looking at me.

"Aria's the only one who could ever get it to curl." She let her wand clatter carelessly to the floor as she combed her hands through her hair. "And I was the only one who could straighten hers."

"She'd look odd with straight hair." Tension ran rampant in the room, seeing as we both pretty much hated each other.

Narcissa made a contrary humming sound. "Not odd. Just different." She glanced over her shoulder at me. "I always thought it personified her. Two different sides of her. And I was the only one that saw them both."

I took a step forward and sat in the chair farthest from her. I thought I saw her lips twitch into a wary smile as she swiveled to face me.

"I hated the other side of her." The words hung between us, choked with my guilt.

"You never knew her other side. You knew her fakeness. Her other side... that only came out recently. When she was helping Nyx... She's just quieter. Less impulsive, less dramatic. More thoughtful. When she can't speak... she sees. It makes her open her eyes... but you let her get away with not looking. I don't."

Sitting there, with her, I wondered what would've happened if my mother hadn't let me run loose as a child. If I'd had Narcissa's upbringing. Her eyes shone with a wisdom and apathy that she was far too young to possess.

"Why are you doing this?" I gestured to her, not bothering to explain more fully. We both knew what I meant.

She tugged at the tank top, mouth twisted ruefully. "I don't want people to forget her. Especially you. People forget much too easily. If you forgot her... she'd be devastated. She's not used to completely trusting people. I don't want you to let her out of your mind."

"You're not Aria."

"I'm the closest thing to her."

"You're nothing like her."

A flash of pain crossed her face before her mask slammed up completely. "Well, at least I know who she is. At least I'm not in love with a figment of my imagination."

Any moment of closeness or understanding we had was gone. Once again, we were on opposite ends of the spectrum.

"I can't believe you're her best friend," I growled.

"I have no idea what she sees in you," she hissed.

"Go back to your House. We don't want you here." I stood, fists curled. I was just barely resisting the urge to hit her.

She stood up, her body stiff. "Perhaps you should think about exactly what you want from Aria and figure out whether you can handle the responsibility you're going to have when she comes back. If you hurt her after all this, I'll have no mercy on you cousin."

She swept out, leaving behind Gryffindor house once and for all. I stared after her, the light of the fire glaring in the corner of my eyes.

* * *

The beginning of March. The news stopped changing. It was always the same thing. She's healing. She's getting better. No, she's not allowed to communicate with anyone. No, we don't know when she's coming back.

The Quidditch match against Slytherin was coming up, but I refused to replace Aria on the team. Narcissa's words had gotten to me. Keeping her spot open was a way of making sure everyone remembered.

Still, it was hard to forget. Especially with James moping around like the world was ending. Or with Lily bursting into tears every other day because she was so weighted down with guilt. Or, I guess, with me. I wasn't exactly Mr. Sunshine either.

Fights between the Slytherins and Gryffindors had heated up to epic proportions. We blamed them for supporting the pureblood notions that had led to Aria's torture. They blamed us for 'tainting her pureblood pride' and leading her to refuse. I'm not sorry to say that I was heading our side of the war. I had the delight of beating up Lucius Malfoy several times a week. Occasionally, I got in trouble, but most of the time, there was so much chaos the teachers couldn't keep up with it.

Several times, we tried to break out of Hogwarts to go see Aria. We failed each time. I was beginning to think Aria was right, about Dumbledore being psychic. He blocked us perfectly each time.

That first week of March, things began to change.

I was being cornered by a group of Slytherins in the dungeons. It'd been stupid for me to go down there, but I'd been trying to break Rick out of detention. He'd gotten in there for fighting and I'd felt sort of guilty. Besides, we had Quidditch practice.

I took in the group. Five of them, all Malfoy's pawns. Easy.

I'm a pretty damn good dueler, if I do say so myself. I took one guy down with a Stunner before the others could react.

I wasn't above getting physical either. I threw my elbow into the closest guy's face as I hit out with a Disarming Hex and a Jelly-Legs Jinx in the next breath.

I heard a shout and watched one of the remaining snakes go down. While the last baddie was distracted, I punched and took him out. Then I straightened to check out my unexpected helper.

He was around my height, with floppy blond hair. I was pretty sure he wasn't too much older than me either. He was dressed casually, in flannel and jeans. He was inspecting me carefully, almost as if he was expecting to find something.

"You must be Sirius Black," he stated, voice level.

Startled, I drew back. I mean, I didn't know this kid. "How the hell do you know my name?"

He rolled his eyes, turning away. "She _would_ like you." He stuck his hands in his pockets, walking away. His posture was slightly slouched, like a kid that gets picked on a lot. Snape walked like that. I followed him warily.

"Who likes me?" I had a feeling I knew. My heart sped up to a breakneck pace.

"Aria. Miss Colette." He glanced back at me, amused. "But you already knew that."

"She hates being called by her last name," I commented absentmindedly as he ushered me into one of the unused classrooms. I blinked. All my friends were there, and Narcissa as well. McGonagall sat uncertainly in the corner.

"Who are you? Again." I questioned. This was pretty funky shit.

The strange man slid into a chair in the front of the room. "My name is Doctor Taylor. I'm Aria's psychologist."

I've never had good impulse control. I said the first thing that came to mind. "Aria has a shrink?"

If looks could kill, James's glare would've annihilated my entire existence. "Sirius..."

I shut up. Fast.

"Doctor Taylor, why are you here?" Lily asked, playing up her best teacher's pet smile.

To my surprise, the psych didn't simper back. Maybe he was still too young. He'd probably been exactly like Lily only a year ago. "Can't believe Aria has a a baby for a doctor," I muttered. Remus elbowed me.

Doctor Taylor flushed with anger. "I'll have you know I am twenty-five years old, and I fully qualified psychologist. Just because you harbor some jealousy, Mr. Black-"

"Jealousy!" My mind leapt to the worst possible conclusion. "Dude! I thought hooking up with patients was illegal!"

The doctor turned a bright red. "No, no! You misunderstand. I simply meant you are jealous that I am able to see her right now and you are not."

"But you've thought about it," I accused. "You've thought about her. Romantically."

He narrowed his eyes. "She did say you were surprisingly astute." He sighed. "When you sit in a room all day with a barrage of innuendos and sexual offers, it's hard not to."

Lily sputtered. "Aria wouldn't-"

"Oh yes she would. She's playing with him. Like she always plays with boys." Despite the harshness of her words, Narcissa's face was lit up with joy. "If she's doing that, she can't be in too bad of shape."

Doctor Taylor gave a strained smile. "Actually she had a major break through today. She'll be coming back to Hogwarts in a couple of days."

For a moment, the room was dead quiet. And then we burst out cheering, jumping and hugging each other. I slapped Doctor Taylor's back, delighted.

He coughed, pushing away from our crowd of joy. "Yes, yes. It's all very exciting. But there are several precautions one has to take when dealing with someone who has gone through as much as Aria has."

That was a downer. Seriously. We hadn't really thought about the psychological trauma Aria might associate with humanity for the rest of her life.

Doctor Taylor settled down in his chair again. We took his cue and seated ourselves. It was just like class. Lily even pulled out a quill and parchment.

"There are a couple of things I want you to keep in mind when interacting with Aria on her return. First and foremost, no sudden movements. She's been mostly isolated in the hospital and she's no longer used to the hustle and bustle of normal life. She's going to have a bit of a culture shock. Try and help her ease into things. As much as you may want to rush up and embrace her, hold off. Let her come to you. Especially you girls."

"Why?" Kristy interrupted, taking a break from gnawing on her glittery finger.

"Why do you think, Kurious?" Narcissa snapped. "She was tortured by her mother, a _woman_."

"Oh." Kristy went pale and leaned back into Rick.

Doctor Taylor cleared his throat. "Continuing on... She's bound to be... touchy about her experiences. Obviously, don't question her on it, but even _more_ importantly, don't let it be the hippogriff in the room. If it comes up in passing, don't let it be an awkward moment. She's developed quite a dark sense of humor... she'll appreciate any efforts you make to ensure things are normal." He paused, hesitating, then looked up directly at me. "What she's most terrified of is losing you, her friends. Don't let this changed your friendships. Remember, she is still Aria. She has changed, yes, but she is still herself. She needs you. Support her."

James coughed and raised his hand. "Is there anything we should know, so we don't act shocked? So we're prepared?"

A flicker of something passed through Doctor Taylor's eyes. But it passed quickly. "There's nothing more I can prepare you for that would not violate patient-doctor confidentiality."

James's eyes narrowed, but he let it go.

McGonagall stood. "Thank you, Doctor Taylor. You've brought good news and information." They shook hands and he headed out the door.

Remus patted me on the shoulder as I stared after the doctor. "Good news, eh?"

"I'll be right back," I muttered, hurrying out the door after the doc.

"Hey! Wait!" I called once I caught sight of his sandy blond hair emerging from the dungeons. He turned around, eyes wide, but not surprised.

"Figures. From what I hear, you don't stop until you have all the answers you want." His head tilted to the side as he stared at me.

I scowled. "Look... I just want to know... if there's any message for me. From Aria. If she, you know, said anything about me."

His mouth twisted in something like pity. That didn't bode well. "She hasn't sent any direct word, no. As for the other, I think you know I can't tell you that."

I couldn't help the disappointment that flooded through me. I hung my head. "Look, can you at least let me know when she gets here? And say hi to her for me. And that I love her."

His expression was inscrutable. "If I can."

"Thanks."

We just stood there for a moment. Then he gave an awkward wave and headed towards the front doors of the school. And I climbed the stairs back to my dorm.

* * *

Our dorm room was tense and quiet. I couldn't figure out why. We should've been celebrating. But no one seemed happy. And by no one, I mean James.

Finally, I got sick of it. I shoved him playfully. "Prongs, what is up with you? Aria, your best friend besides us, is coming back soon. Aren't you happy? Huh?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm happy." He smiled distractedly. "I'm just worried."

"Worried?" I sat on my bed, waiting patiently for James's answer.

"Yeah. That I won't be what she needs. That someone will do something stupid and everything will be fucked up worse than it is." He ruffled his hair almost angrily. "It's not like she's going to come back and be completely okay. I'm just... worried."

"Look mate..." I looked down at my hands. "I'm not saying it'll be perfect. But Aria's not the type to let this defeat her. She's strong and you guys have a connection and shit. Something like that isn't just going to disappear. Just... try to calm down and not be a worrywart."

"Yeah. You're right." He sighed and I could tell I hadn't really helped. "I need to blow off some steam. Let's prank some snakes."

"I'm in." Remus agreed surprisingly quickly. I knew he just wanted to get James's mind off of things, just like me.

"Have I ever passed?" I joked, pulling out the Map. "Peter?"

He looked like he'd been startled out of a daydream. "Doughnuts?"

"Sure Peter," I chuckled. "Now what kind of pranks involve doughnuts?"

* * *

After the prank, I headed out to the lake, with a promise to be back in an hour. It was a foggy night, which made it hard to see in front of me, even with my vision. I squinted as I caught a gleam of gold through the haze. My heart leapt automatically, then fell when I moved close enough to see the defined form of the girl kicking her feet in the water. I stopped walking.

"Are you going to yell at me again?" Narcissa asked, lifting both of her feet out of the water. She was ghostly pale.

I gave an exasperated sigh. "Why are you here?"

"Because I want to be. Don't flatter yourself. My life goal is not to drive you crazy."

"Could've fooled me," I muttered.

She made a small sound in the back of her throat. "Perhaps I didn't fancy waking up attached to my bed via doughnut."

I couldn't help a small bark of laughter. "I can accept that."

She patted the ground next to her. "Sit," she commanded.

For reasons I wasn't entirely sure of, I did as she directed, although I kept a foot or two of space between us. We just sat for a few minutes, watching the shifting fog.

Finally, "I wanted to tell you something," she whispered, "before she got back."

"Yeah?"

She turned her crystal blue eyes towards me. "She doesn't belong in my world. I pulled her close and look what happened. She deserves happiness. And you can give her that." She dipped a toe in the water. "She... I truly believe she loves you, even if she doesn't know it." She narrowed her eyes and it was almost like watching ice burn. "Give her happiness, Sirius. Choose her and give her all the comfort and security she craves. Love her... so I can know I'm letting her go into good hands." Her face twisted in very human anguish. "I can't keep her, much as I want to. I can't get out. But she can. If I have to watch over her, she'll never go. But you! You're already out. And you understand what she's coming from and all the dangers... I can trust you to look out for her. You _will_ look out for her."

"Always," I swore.

She slumped in relief. "Good. Good. Thank you, Sirius."

"You're welcome, Narcissa."

There was nothing more to say. I got up and walked away.

* * *

The Quidditch game was upon us. And I had never replaced Aria.

Our House was in accord with me. Even if it was the match with Slytherin, we would forfeit. It was fly with Aria or not at all.

The six of us marched onto the field dressed in full grab. We waved at the stands, who cheered even though there wasn't going to be a game. I saw a glittery poster in the Gryffindor crowd that proclaimed 'For Aria'.

Madame Hooch pursed her lips. "You're one player short."

"We know," I answered confidently.

"Are you _sure_ you want to do this?" she asked, hands on hips. "It could lose you the cup... and it is the Slytherin team."

"We-"

"STOP!"

The voice cut across all the noise in the crowd. Every person in the Quidditch stadium swiveled to stare at the figure, clad all in black, with a hood covering their face, that was rushing across the field. They skidded to a halt right in front of me, ducking their head so I couldn't see their face.

"I have a message. From Aria. Please read it." A black gloved hand thrust out a folded piece of parchment. I snatched it, unfolded it and read:

_My darling Gryffindor team of wonder,_

_ As sweet as it is for you to abstain from playing for my sake, I'd really rather see us win, especially against the Slytherins. Think of it as symbolically smashing the Dark Lord. Therefore, I've sent you this lovely girl who will be playing on behalf. Don't bother asking who she is. She won't say. Just trust me, and know that she is an excellent Beater and flies with my love and blessing._

_ Love and good flying,_

_ Aria_

I stared at Aria's messenger. If I wasn't positive that it was Aria's handwriting, then this whole thing would seem like some shady way for the Slytherins to sabotage our team. I slowly walked a circle around the girl. She was tiny, although the bunk of dark sweatshirt disguised that a little. "You can fly? Well, I mean?" I inquired doubtfully. She did _not_ have a Beater's physique.

"Yes." I tilted my head to the side, trying to figure out where I'd heard that voice before. It sounded almost familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. Perhaps whoever this was was trying to change it.

I glanced down again at the paper and ran my hands over Aria's signature. With love, she'd said. I made my decision.

Clapping the newcomer on the back, I said, "We've got our seventh flier, Madame Hooch. We'll play!"

The crowd began to cheer so loudly, that I had to lean down to shout in our new team member's ear. "Gotta broom?"

She gave me a quick thumbs up and pulled out her wand. "Accio broom!"

"You've got the new Nimbus?" I hollered in disbelief. "They only got out last week!"

"Pre-order!" she screamed back. "Would Aria send you anything less?"

"She's an angel!" I laughed, imagining her there beside me, golden curls bouncing as she laughed along with me. '_Good flying,' _she'd whisper as I kicked off into the air.

Slytherin was going to be a tough match, especially because we really hadn't been preparing to face them. I needed to find a way to beat the odds. Searching for every possible solution, my mind snapped into Captain mode. The Slytherin team had a great group of Chasers. They were perfectly in sync. However, their supremacy made their Beaters and Keeper lazy. We could use that. If we could get the Quaffle from the Chasers, we'd be home free. And the only way to do that was using Bludgers.

"Oi! Circle up!" We had a minute before the start of the game. The mysterious girl and James were the only people that heard me, and swerved over to my side.

"What's the plan, mate?" James's eyes were brighter than I'd seen them in months.

"We Beaters are going to focus all efforts on getting the Quaffle out of their hands and incapacitating their Chasers. I need you, James, to be right there, to snatch it away. Then we'll pretty much puffy-guard 'em, so they can't get it back from you until you score. Plan?"

"On it, Captain!" He saluted me jokingly and flew off to his starting position.

I nodded at my new partner, who was still draped in black and unrecognizable. I couldn't see anything of her. "You ready?"

"Whenever you are." She raised her fist and lightly punched my arm. "Kick ass."

"For Aria." I smiled at her as the whistle blew.

"BEGIN!" Madame Hooch bellowed to the skies and we shot off.

The girl got way ahead of me easily. Slytherins' Chaser had already obtained the Quaffle. Time to put Plan Sirius-Is-Brilliant into effect. I made a beeline for the fast-moving Slytherin force. Where were the Bludgers?

The commentating reached my ears. "-and the Gryffindors' mysterious substitute Beater has inserted herself into the Slytherin Chasers' circle. Why... she just blocked the Quaffle with her body. Is that legal? Potter grabs it for the Gryffindor team... Passes to Maxie Roberts... And Black defends her from a Bludger sent straight towards her by one of the Slytherin Beaters... Other Gryff Beater aims for Slytherin Chaser Herse... Ouch, caught her shoulder. That must bloody hurt... Roberts shoots and... SCORE FOR GRYFFINDOR! Ten points and..."

Aria's replacement really was surprisingly good. I hit a Bludger at her and she smacked it at the Slytherin with the Quaffle. It hit the Chaser's fingertips and knocked the Quaffle out of their hands. James neatly snagged it and passed to Amelia way down the field. Another point for us. We had this in the bag.

Sometimes I felt like James, the mysterious girl and I were even more in sync than the Terrible Trio. Even though they knew our plan by this point, they couldn't stop it as we pummeled them again and again and again.

"Gryffindor 80, Slytherin 10! And what's that? I believe the Slytherin Seeker has spotted the Snitch!"

I whipped around. There was the snake Seeker, hurtling through the air, Albert gaining, but there was no way he'd get there in time. Shit.

"I got this!" Black fabric flashed by me and our substitute Beater threw herself off of her broom, still clutching her bat.

Amid gasps from the crowd, she fell gracefully, slamming her bat into an errant Bludger just as she passed it. I watched in wonder as the Bludger unerringly knocked the Slytherin Seeker off of his broom. Alfred had the Snitch in seconds. We had won.

All eyes turned back to the figure in black, kept aloft by one hand clutching her broom as she hung below it. Somehow, it had swerved to pick her up when she was falling. She tilted her head back to look up and the hood slipped off of her head, revealing a cropped helmet of golden curls.

I sat, frozen in shock, as Narcissa's scream rang through the pitch.

"ARIA!"

* * *

**Hehehehe... Cliffhanger. This was actually one of the moments I've been waiting to write the whole time I've been writing Ew... Just the image of Aria hanging there in the air... It gives me shivers. Probably 'cause I'm such a drama geek.**

**So, next chapter, back to Aria and all her loveliness. It will be that chap, then the epilogue and then we're done! Yay!**

**Please review and tell me what you think!**

**Love and happy (late) holidays!**


	39. Sleeping Together In the Literal Sense

**Hey guys!**

**Alright, you have no IDEA how excited I am! It's this chapter, and then the epilogue. How crazy is that? Even crazier is how long it takes to type up thirteen pages of paper. I type fast, but god! It took forever!**

**But now it's up, up, up and we only have one chapter left together... but I'll save the sobbing for the epilogue.**

**For now, read, read, read! And enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I disclaim. Rawr.**

...

**Aria's POV:**

I should probably have been afraid. But falling off of a broom was the least of my worries, oddly enough.

I'd arrived at Hogwarts that morning, content to be cooped up in a room until the next day. But then, DT had told me about the Quidditch game. There was no way I was going to let my team forfeit to Slytherin of all teams because of me. I guess it was supposed to show solidarity or something, but mostly it was just irritating. I wanted to win, damn it. It'd only taken a little bit of ingenuity to escape DT and make it to the pitch. And a note from me was all it took for Sirius to let my 'substitute' fly. Easy.

I'd gotten caught up in the joy of flying. Freedom, after so long being caged in St. Mungos, was joyous, even if there were too many people and noises. I'd tuned them out, focusing on stunt after stunt, pulling my team into the lead.

But I might have gone a little too far on the last one. My body was heavy with exhaustion and my arm shook as I tried to hang on to my broom. So yeah, I probably should've been scared out of my mind. But there were so many people there, people that loved me. Even if I fell, I wouldn't get hurt. I knew it.

"ARIA!"

Cissy, Cissy, Cissy, Cissy, Cissy. Even if she was terrified, it was good to hear Cissy. It gave me the strength necessary to drop my bat, grab the broom with my other hand and clamber back on.

I was dizzy. I could barely think. Blearily, I aimed my broom for the expanse of grass below. As soon as I was close enough to the ground, I let myself topple off. The grass smelled sweet as it tickled my nose.

"What were you _thinking_?" DT, totally enraged.

"Had to win," I muttered, then giggled breathlessly. Of course he wouldn't understand. It was a crazy, stupid thing to do. Maybe I was crazy after all. But I'd had to.

"We need to get her to Madame Pomfrey! She's not well!" McGonagall. Dear old girl. I didn't want her to worry. I tried to pull myself up and promptly blacked out.

…

Waking up in white starched hospital sheets was nothing new. Waking up and finding no one hovering over me was a change.

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. I was still dressed in my loose black clothing. I tugged off the sweatshirt and smoothed the long, black sleeves of my t-shirt. "Hello?" I called out. They wouldn't just leave me alone, would they?

"Ah. You're awake." McGonagall pushed back the screen keeping me removed from the rest of the Hospital Wing. I could see DT and two of my nurses chatting with Madame Pomfrey at the end, near the door.

I ducked my head, fiddling with the ends of my sleeves. I hadn't forgotten that my deception of McGonagall had started this whole mess. "Professor," I murmured.

"I'm glad to see you are well." Her words were stiff and cool. "After the Quidditch game, we were all concerned. You seem to have a tendency to pull stunts that alarm others."

"I don't mean to." There wasn't a spot on her shoes. "I just… had to."

"Perhaps the next time you 'have to' do something, you should think first. There are many that would be upset if something happened to you."

I looked up at her boldly, really taking her in. I had forgotten that underneath the strict order of her appearance, there was a person who could care and feel pain. "Would you count yourself as one of those people, Professor?"

Slowly, her hand reached out so her fingertips touched my cheek. I focused on staying still, not jerking away in fear, as she traced a long scar racing down the side of my face. "Merlin help me, I do. I have been worried to death about you."

I brought my hand up to clasp hers. "Thank you. I care about you too. Like… like a mother." I couldn't help the tears that automatically flooded my eyes as I tried to smile at her. "I hope you don't mind."

I wanted to laugh at the expression on her face. Torn between a tearful sympathy and her normal stoicism. "How could I mind?" she choked out. I threw my arms around her.

McGonagall was quite obviously not used to being hugged. She patted my back awkwardly as I clung to her tall, bony body. I pressed my face against her shoulder to muffle my laughter.

"Thank you, Professor." Impulsively, I kissed her cheek before I released her. "It's good to see you again too."

She was practically frozen with shock. She nodded absently. "Doctor Taylor is waiting to speak with you."

I bit back a smile. Business as always. "Yes ma'am." I passed by her and skipped to DT's side.

He glared at me. I tried to look timid and repentant.

"You don't look sorry. At all."

Well. I'd never been the best actress.

"What's happened while I was out?" I glanced around. The door to the rest of the castle was closed and locked.

DT adjusted his robes and the tie under them. "We've been figuring out the logistics of your life here. You've been given a single room, until you are comfortable staying in your dorm again, if you ever feel up to it. You'll be pulled out of class one day each week to have a five hour session with me. You'll be required to let McGonagall know your schedule for each day, so we know you aren't wandering about getting into trouble. As for classes, you'll-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't give a shit-"

"Language!"

"-I just wanted to know whether anyone tried to visit, that's all."

DT rolled his eyes. "We've practically had to barricade the door. Your Marauders have tried to break in multiple times. They're awfully stubborn."

I beamed. My Marauders. "Yes, they are."

"Speaking of which…" He fumbled around in his pockets. "Here. The Potter boy left this for you." He handed me two pieces of parchment. "And no, I didn't read them."

"Oh aren't you sweet!" I pinched his cheek, teasingly. I glanced at the door. "I don't suppose I can go."

DT sighed. "I suppose-"

"Thanks!" I was out the door before he could finish his sentence, sprinting for freedom.

It was even better than breaking out of St. Mungo's. I was free, without the hovering caretakers, and I was home. My heart leapt with joy at each familiar landmark. A stupid grin lit my face as I passed by the niche behind the portrait that Sirius and I had hid from rampaging Slytherins in. I clutched the pieces of parchment DT had given me and ducked inside.

I unfolded the first piece and eagerly scanned James's sloppy message.

_R-sickle,_

_When you want to talk, tap the other piece of parchment with your wand and say, 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good'. I can't wait to see you, for real._

_James_

Impulsively, I pressed my lips to James's signature. He seemed incapable of ever letting me down.

I tugged my wand out from where I'd stashed it down the side of my pants. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," I chanted.

Ink began to scroll across the page. 'The Marauders Map', it said.

My mouth fell open as I unfolded the map and saw Hogwarts, in all its glory, every person documented in their place. I took a few minutes to marvel over the amazing charm work before scanning it to find James. He was right where I thought he'd be, alone on the Quidditch field. Our place.

I traced a route I could take to reach him undisturbed. I'd never realized how many secret passages there were in Hogwarts. Sure would be useful if something did end up happening with Sirius.

I pondered the issue of Sirius as I made my way towards James. I'd barely seen him at he Quidditch match, but he had been making a stand in my memory. He'd called me an angel. I'd wanted to jump him right there and tell him everything. But what if he didn't like me as much with my scarred appearance and changed self. I wasn't as loud, wasn't as carefree. What if he didn't want me? What if he'd only be holding onto a memory and had fallen out of love with the reality? W hat if he'd met someone else? What if one of the fan girls had seduced him? What if he and Dumbledore were having a sordid love affair behind all of our backs? What if-

My mental rambling was cut off as I burst onto the Quidditch field. A gangly figure with unruly black hair spun around to face me.

"Aria?" His hazel eyes widened as if he couldn't believe it.

"James!" I shrieked and flung myself at him.

He caught me, which wasn't hard to do. I was still a little skinny. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my face into his sweatshirt. "James, James, James, James," I murmured.

"Merlin, Aria!" He squeezed me so hard it was difficult to breathe. "I was so worried – I missed you so damn much, you have no idea, I swear!"

"Believe me, I know," I muttered sarcastically, and felt his chest rumble as he gave a surprised laugh.

"Good to see your sense of humor remains intact." He patted my back. "Your hair's shorter." I instinctively tensed up at the reminder.

"Hey." He pulled me back from my koala hug to look me in the eyes. "It's not a bad thing. Just different. I didn't think you'd ever cut it."

"I didn't," I stated bluntly.

"Oh." I watched as he noticed the thread-thin scars coating my face. He was trying not to react, but failing miserably. "Look I'm… I know we're supposed to leave it alone unless you bring it up but I just… I'm so sorry this happened to you, Rs. I wish… I wish it'd be me instead of you."

I swallowed. Hard. Then leaned forward so my forehead knocked gently against his. "I don't. It was… terrible. I can't begin to describe… but I've learned a lot about myself through it and I can't… regret that it happened." I closed my eyes, leaning against him. "I only hope that nothing between any of us has to change because of it."

"Jeez, Aria! Like it ever could. Don't ever worry about crap like that again. No matter what, you'll always be one of my best friends. I wouldn't ever let something like this ruin what we have." James set me down, oh-so-carefully. "Nor will any of the others, I'm sure. You should've seen the girls without you. Complete train wrecks."

"And Sirius?" I questioned, a bit too eagerly. I sounded the way Slughorn would, if he'd been off crystallized pineapple for a bit too long and he'd just just been offered a slice of the gooey stuff.

In other words, horribly and desperately in love.

"Oh Merlin," James breathed, eyes as big and round as the moon. "No way."

"It's not-"

"You're in-"

"Not true!"

"You and-"

"Not at all!"

"After all this time-"

"James... I'm warning you..."

He stared at me like a cow who'd been kicked by a two-year-old. And then began cracking up.

"James!" I smacked him over the head, but he only laughed louder. "It's not funny!"

He clutched his stomach. "Only... you!" Another round of hysterical giggles. "It _would__**... **_take you being... tortured to figure out that you're in... LOVE!" He was actually crying with laughter as he collapsed to the ground.

I huffed. "You could be a little sympathetic. Now I have to admit he was _right_ all along."

That just set him off again. "Can't _wait_... to see his... _face!_"

I crossed my arms, trying to stay put out, but the corners of my lips kept twitching with laughter. "You're such a bloody pain in the arse, James."

He grinned up at me from where he was sprawled on the ground. "Good to have you back, Ari. You always did know how to keep me in my place."

I flopped down beside him and entwined our hands. "Seriously. Does he still feel the same way, Jamie?"

James yawned. "Last time I checked. You should talk to him yourself, though."

I shook my head. "Not yet. I still need to talk to Cissy first. And the girls, I suppose. He'll have to wait." I glanced up at the setting sun and pull myself to my feet. "I better get started on that. Here." I handed him the map. "We'll have to talk more later. I am _really_ glad to see you, Jamie."

"Me too." He considered the map, then shoved it back towards me. "You keep it. Use it to find Narcissa. And give it back to Sirius, when you talk."

"Thank you." I pressed my lips briefly against his cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too." He gave me one last long hug. "We'll talk more later?"

"Yeah." Reluctantly, I pulled away. "Later."

"Later."

...

Cissy was in her dorm. A problem.

There was no way I was going into the snake den. With my luck, I'd get raped or murdered or some other shit. I'd taken a side, finally. I was no longer a neutral visitor.

I stood, debating my course of action, at the entrance to the dungeons. I just couldn't seem to move forward.

"Aria Colette?"

I spun around in alarm. Standing behind me was a younger girl, dressed in the Slytherin uniform. Her hair was dark and perfectly curled. I could tell she'd be breathtakingly beautiful once she'd grown out of the awkward mid-teen phase.

"Hi! I'm Verdiana Zabini. I'm such a fan!" She smiled, slightly mischievously.

"Fan?" I shifted away, wary, all senses on alert, in case it was some kind of trap.

She flipped her hair and gave a purposely sultry smile. "Yeah. Of your look... well, not right now, but normally. You've got such terrific style, and you're rebelling against this whole stupid, women-are-subordinate, Slytherin thing."

"Oh?" I raised my eyebrows, which she took as encouragement.

"Yeah, you know. I've been promised in marriage to Ivan Pavlov since I was about six, but you and I both know there are ways around these things. I'll just marry the old coot, and he _is_ very old. It won't take him long to die, if you know what I mean." She winked.

I couldn't help but smile, even if she _did_ mean murder. "I suppose that's one way, although I doubt it's the best option." She seemed sweet. I doubted she would go through with it. I shook my head and got back to the dilemma at hand. "Hey, Verdiana, could you give me a hand?" It was risky, trusting her, but I had a good feeling about it.

"Sure." She shrugged and I noticed a large red ruby swinging on a thick gold chain from her neck. She noticed my staring and giggled. "It's from my daddy's jewelry store. We are the best jewelers in the world. You wore some of our diamonds to the Annual Malfoy Ball last year, remember?"

"Yeah," I answered absentmindedly. "Look, do you mind fetching Cissy - Narcissa Black - here for me? And please don't let anyone know."

"Sure thing." She saluted me. "Narcissa Black, coming right up."

"Thanks," I called after her. I'd almost forgotten about the Zabini Jewelers. They'd tried to buy out my grandma's small store any number of times. Slowly, an idea began to form in my mind.

...

Cissy was as calm and collected as ever. She didn't say more than 'hello' and 'glad you're well' while we wandered aimlessly outside. As soon as we were out of the public eye, however, she spun on me.

"What were you thinking? For Merlin's sake, Aria! Pulling a stunt like that after... Do you have any idea how much you scared all of us?" All of this was hissed in a quiet, furious voice, her icy blue eyes flickering from side to side to make sure her loss of control wasn't seen by anyone but me. I wasn't sure I'd ever seen her so worked up.

"Cissy..." I reached forward and grabbed her hands in mine. "I'm okay. I'm safe. You don't need to worry about me anymore."

"Oh please!" She gave a rather un-Cissy-like snort. "When have I _ever_ not worried about you? You are always, _always_ doing stupid things like this, with absolutely no thought for the rest of us! Can you_ possibly_ understand how we might feel?"

"We?" Cissy rarely connected herself voluntarily with anyone.

"Yes! We! All of your Gryffs and me and, for that matter, this whole school! There are so many people that care about you, Aria. With you gone, it was like the whole school was in permanent mourning. Without you... the day they announced you'd disappeared, there were hoards of girls crying in the halls. All your former boyfriends... they were distraught. We all missed you. We don't want you to ever get hurt again." She squeezed my hands. "Please, Aria... I was so damn scared."

Astonished, I watched as tears began to roll down her face. She made a strangled sound and tried to wipe them off with her sleeve. Never had I seen Cissy even _close_ to this level of emotion.

"I... I... I've no idea what to say, Cis. I just... you're right. I should've thought of how everyone else might feel, seeing me hanging from the broom like that. I've been awfully selfish and I... I'll try to think from now on." I blinked fiercely; I was not going to cry again. "I just... I missed you so bloody much, Cissy. Can we just hug it out and forget my being stupid?"

"No! No we can't! I can't be selfish any more! I told you to let go of the society you were raised with, but then I kept holding you back. I've been so unfair to you, holding on to our friendship... I'm the one that got you into this in the first place! It's my fault and this just can't, _can't_ go on, and-"

I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her hard, hard enough that her words dissolved into tears. "Shhhh, Cissy." I closed my eyes and hummed a lullaby her personal house elf used to sing when she went to sleep at night. "I'm fine. I'm fine. This was _not_ your fault. Never your fault."

...

It took a while for Cissy to calm down and stop crying. Once she did, we meandered over to a secluded willow tree and sat down. I carefully braided her hair as we spoke.

"Lucius and I have set a date for the wedding." She murmured over her shoulder, composure flawless once again.

"Really?" Right over middle, left over middle. "When?"

"August 31st, this summer." She delicately plucked blades of grass from the ground.

"Are you going to ask me to be the Maid of Honor?" My hand caught on a knot in her silky hair. I tugged lightly, brows furrowed in concentration.

She gave a small, shaky sigh. "I meant what I said, you know. We have to stop being friends after Hogwarts. It'll only hurt you to remain connected with my world."

Her world now. I made a derisive snorting sound. "I believe that is _my_ choice and decision. And you are going to make me your Maid of Honor, like it or not."

She hesitated, shoulders slightly slumped. "But... Lucius..."

The unsaid knowledge of years hung between us. I fumbled in my braiding before I recovered. "Still. Regardless. I can handle Lucius. Really. It's nothing to worry about." I tried to sound confident. "I doubt he'll pull anything in the first place." I tied the end of her braid with a ribbon. "No matter what, I want to be your Maid of Honor. We've been planning this since we were five. There's no _way_ I'm missing it because of some silly cousin of mine." I kissed her cheek and moved to crouch in front of her. "You couldn't keep me away."

Cissy huffed and frowned. "You're incorrigible, Aria."

"You know you love me," I teased.

She gave a small smile. "Yes." She looked back at the castle. It was almost time for dinner. "Where will you go now, Aria?"

I looked at her questioningly. "Dinner. Where else?"

She shook her head in exasperation. "No, I meant, in life. When we've left here, what're you going to do?"

I wrapped a strand of my hair around my finger. "I was talking to that Zabini girl and she made me think of something. I was thinking of selling my grandma's jewelry store and trying to get a job designing for Zabini's company. Work my way up and then start my own company. I don't know. Just an idea."

Cissy stood up and leaned agains the tree trunk. "You should do that. It'd be good for you. Just because you're the richest heiress in all of England doesn't mean you should sit around and do nothing." She sniffed. "You'd get fat."

"Thanks, Cissy." I rolled my eyes and poked at her stomach as we meandered back towards Hogwarts. "Honestly, you're the one who's going to have to worry about gaining weight, Miss Future-Wife-of-a-Billionaire. You'll never have to do a days work in your life."

"Running a household is an incredible amount of work. You could never understand." She knocked her lip lightly against mine. "You should get changed for dinner. You can't go in those black rags. Seriously, where did you find them? A dump?"

"Very funny." I tugged at my long sleeved black tee. "I guess I should change. I'll see you there."

Cissy kissed me on both cheeks. "And remember to smile. This is your triumphant return."

"Yeah." I pulled at my shortened hair. "I'll try."

They'd moved my stuff into a small room near the Gryffindor dorms. Using the Marauder's Map, I raced there completely unseen. I took a quick shower, to wash the grime off, and teased my short curls into perfect ringlets. I pulled on my uniform, a slightly altered version of the one I'd always worn before. I wore thick black tights and a skirt that actually grazed my knees. The collar of my white button down was buttoned all the way up and the sleeves weren't pushed up to my elbows. I was the picture of the dress code, except for the red ribbon in my hair and the five-inch heels on my feet.

I was a little late for dinner. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach. I'd never really had stage fright, except for the one time at the Sirius fan club, but I did now. I didn't want attention anymore. I just wanted to blend in and be normal. But I was going to have to face the music, or, in this case, the gossip mill, sooner or later. I braced myself as I strode into the Great Hall.

Immediately, the murmuring in the Hall died down and picked right back up. I ducked my head as I caught snatches of conversation.

"-Colette, it's-"

"She's back, I-"

"-can't believe-"

"-tortured-"

"-is she wearing?"

"Her hair-"

"-on her face? Scars-"

"-feel bad-"

"-wonder... Sirius-"

"Aria!"

I jerked back to avoid running into Maxie and Amelia, who were both smiling broadly at me.

"Hey." I nodded, twisting my hands anxiously. "Good to see you two." Yeah, not so much. I would bet a good amount of money that they were gleeful they'd had Sirius all to their horny selves.

"Oh my Merlin, we were sooooo worried about you, Aria! Like, we felt totally bad for any harsh words we might have exchanged. We hope you forgive us!" Amelia chattered and Maxie bobbed her head eagerly.

"Yeah, I mean, we'll even give you one free snog with Sirius if you want." Maxie giggled and flipped her hair.

I discreetly rolled my eyes. "Are you whoring him out, then?"

"What? I-oh-how-"

With another, not-so-discreet roll of my eyes, I stepped around them, heading towards my actual friends.

I hadn't seen Lily, Rayne, and Kristy yet. But there they were. Kristy'd cut her hair into a bob. It suited her. Rayne had donned a new pair of earrings. Lily was actually wearing the lipstick I'd sent her for Christmas.

I couldn't seem to move forward. All I could remember was my mother pressing a knife into my face, saying that Lily wanted this, me hurt and damaged. My hands started shaking and my nails bit into my palms.

"There you are." I jumped slightly at DT's voice behind me. I broke me out of my trance.

I exhaled sharply. "Yeah. Just got in." I glanced at his formal attire. "You hitting the road?"

"Not quite yet. I'm going to stay for a little to make sure you're adjusting well." A strand of blonde hair flopped in front of his face and I hid a smile. "You know it wasn't really Lily, right."

"Get out of my fucking head." I muttered, glaring at his shoes.

"Language."

"Fuck language."

The exchange was so familiar, I couldn't help giggling.

"There." He smiled at me. "Now got to your friends."

"Thanks DT." I beamed at him. I wanted to hug him too, but I kinda thought that might not be taken the right way in front of this particular audience.

"Go on." He gave me a light push and I stumbled in their direction.

"Hey!" James caught my hand. He'd stood up to greet me. "We saved you a seat." He indicated a place set between him and Remus. I noted with some small relief that Lily sat on his other side and Sirius opposite from James. For once, Rick and Kristy weren't attempting to permanently entangle their tongues. A special occasion.

"Thanks." I tucked my skirt beneath my legs as I sat. I scanned the table quickly. "My god, is that apple crisp bread?"

Remus gave a soft chuckle. "We knew it was your favorite, so we saved you some."

"Aren't you sweet?" I gave Remus a quick hug. "And it _is_ lovely to see your face. How are you?"

"Had a few bad nights, but I'm feeling much better now, thanks. You?" He took a bite of his mashed potatoes. Everyone else took his cue and began eating.

I shrugged. "Aside form being tortured to near death, I'm pretty good." Everyone around me seemed to freeze up, but I kept my demeanor purposely nonchalant. They had to get used to it. "So, what have I missed here at Hoggy-Hoggy-Hogwarts?"

The atmosphere became a bit less tense. James chewed as he thought. "Let's see... there was Kristy and Rick's two day break-up."

"Oh really?" I raised one eyebrow. "What was that about, Kris?"

Her shoulders flew nearly to her ears. She reeked of nervousness. "Ummm... it was stupid really. I was, uh, getting help from Sirius for a Transfig essay, and I saw Rick talking with Fantasia, you know, that really slutty Hufflepuff girl?"

I waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah, I know her."

"Anyhow, I was sort of pissed in the first place, because he'd been complaining about how I spend too much time doing homework and not enough time with him. So I sort of accused him of cheating on me with Fantasia. And he accused me of trying to make a move on Sirius, which I told him was crazy because Sirius belonged to, well, you-"

I rolled my eyes.

"-and then the argument kind of got out of hand and we were fighting about _everything_, right down to the color of my knickers-"

"TMI!" Everyone around the table shouted.

"-and so we broke up. But by the next night, we were both missing each other so bad that we came out of our dorms to find each other at the _exact same time_. And then-"

"You went and shagged like bunnies in a broom closet." I gave my eyes another roll around and smirked. "We know, we know."

She gave me a big, suggestive wink. "Try the History of Magic classroom and you've got it right."

I clapped my hands over my ears a second too late. "Ew! That is so gross! Kris! NOw, whenever I'm in History of Magic, I'll have to think about you humping Rick's bony ass. Thanks a lot!"

Kristy giggled. "There are worse sights."

I shook my head. "I'm not so sure about that."

She raised her plucked eyebrows. "Is that a challenge I detect?"

I flipped my short curls. "Why, I do believe it is."

She considered it for a moment. "James and Lily?"

"Nope. Not nearly. You'll have to do better than that."

"Sirius and Maxie?" Lily threw out tentatively.

I winced. "Close but not quite."

"Peter and the Crabbe kid." Rayne added solemnly.

I nearly gagged. "Ugh! That is just... beyond... That's awful. You have a dirty mind, Rayne."

Pettigrew blinked his dull, fishy eyes. "What's so awful about it?"

We all stared at him for a minute and then burst out into hysterical peals of laughter. And that was all it took. For the rest of dinner, we all chatted like nothing had happened. I didn't need a big sob fest to make things right with Lily, Kristy and Rayne. We just needed this.

The only person who was still acting odd by the time dinner was almost over was Sirius. He picked at his food, only laughed half-heartedly, and never looked in my direction. He left before all of us had finished, with a barely audible excuse.

I stared after him and nudged James. "Jamie, I think I'm gonna-"

"Go after him? I know." He ruffled my hair encouragingly. "Go on then.

I kissed his cheek. "Thanks. Night, you lot!" I waved and hurried out of the Hall, unfolding the Marauder's Map as I went.

Sirius had headed back towards the Gryffindor dorms. I raced after him, shucking off my shoes to move faster.

I caught up right in front of the portrait hole. I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw him. "Sirius!"

His head jerked up and, for the first time that evening, I saw his intense silver eyes, boring into mine.

"Aria?" He sounded surprised, and, as I moved closer, I saw that his eyes were full of vulnerability. "What're you doing here?"

"I followed you." I took a few seconds to re-familiarize myself with the line of his jaw, the slant of his cheekbones, the ridge of his nose. I stepped closer, to better watch the play of the candlelight across his face. "I wanted to talk to you privately. You seemed... off tonight."

He blew air out through his mouth. "Yeah, I suppose I was. I..." He ran a hand through his hair distractedly. "I felt bad. I guess I want you to know... I was being stupid before, harassing you about being with me and demanding that you love me back. I'm not going to be like that anymore. I'll be whatever you need, whatever you want. If you want me out of your life, I can do that too, although I hope we can be friends. I was a real hassle for you and I'm sorry. It won't happen again." His gaze was sincere and pleading, although what he was pleading for, I had no clue.

I bit my lip. This was _not_ the way I'd envisioned our reunion. "Are you saying... you don't love me anymore?"

"No, no!" He looked horrified. Stumbling forward in his eagerness to properly explain it to me, he came close enough that I could reach out and touch him. "That's not what I meant at all! I love you, Aria, so much it drives me crazy, but since you don't feel the same way, I'm willing to-"

I cut him off by reaching up and pressing my lips against his. He gave a muffled groan and his arms wrapped automatically around my waist. I pulled back and grabbed his face between my hands.

"You listen now, Sirius Black. When I was going through everything, when I was in that house and I needed something to hold onto, something to keep me sane, all I could think about was you and the way you looked at me and how much I..." My tongue fumbled over my words as I tried to rush them out. "How much I loved you."

I hid my face in the curve of his neck. He was stiff with shock.

"Say it again. Please." Incredulous. Disbelieving.

I pressed my lips against his collarbone. "Love you, Sirius Black."

"Go out with me."

I leaned back to look at him and his face took my breath away. It was filled with an unreal, stunning joy.

"Are you sure?"

"Why the hell wouldn't I be? I've wanted you forever, Aria."

I shook my head fiercely. "You don't understand. I'm all fucked up. There may be days when all I can do is lay in my bed and cry. I don't know if I'm ever going to be completely okay. I'm scarred, Sirius, inside and out. Can you deal with that?"

He looked at me, long and hard. "Aria, I want to be the first person you come to when you're upset and need to talk. I want to hold you when you're crying, as well as when you're laughing. And I want to be able to talk to you about my issues too. That's what a relationship is about. You may be damaged, but so am I. We all are, in our own separate ways. No matter what, I'll love you. And I want to be with you. Just please say yes now."

"One last thing." I began undoing the buttons on my shirt. Sirius's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. I rolled my own. "I have a camisole on underneath. Don't get too excited, love." I shrugged my shirt off, exposing my arms and shoulders. My scars gleamed almost silver in the dim torch light, contrasting my golden hair. "Are you sure?"

Wordlessly, Sirius reached out and traced one long scar that twisted down my arm. He caught my eyes, then slowly leaned down and pressed his lips to it.

I couldn't help it. The sobs erupted from deep within me and I clung to him like I was drowning.

"Yes," I gasped, in between my tears. "Yes."

He brushed his lips against the top of my head and held me. "Thank you."

...

I ended up taking him back to my room and sleeping with him.

No, I don't mean the metaphorical 'sleeping with someone', like sex and all that. Get your minds' out of the gutter. I mean, we quite literally slept in the same bed together.

My room had an east-facing window. I woke up with the sun's rays on my face.

"Nngh!" I stretched, raising my arms over my head. I blinked contentedly and looked over to my right.

He lay there, lips slightly parted, hair mussed by sleep. His school uniform was rumpled and only one button on his shirt was still done up. I smiled and ran my hand across his exposed stomach.

He stirred and gave a slight smirk. "Molesting me in my sleep?"

"Don't let it go to your head." I couldn't help smiling. "Good morning."

"Good morning, love." He propped himself up on his elbows and pressed his lips gently against mine.

"Mmm." I smiled against his lips. He grabbed my arm and tugged me so I lightly collapsed against his upper body.

"Hey!" I laughed and cuddled closer. "It's crazy how... normal this feels."

"Yeah." He was playing with my hair absentmindedly. "It feels natural. Like it's supposed to be this way. Which is crazy, because only yesterday, I was convinced this would never happen."

I traced the patterns his skin and muscles made. "Yesterday, I was convinced you were having a secret affair with Dumbledore."

"What?" His face twisted in distaste. "That's gross, Aria."

I snickered. "The idea of you and Maxie going at it is far more gross."

He smirked. "Does the idea make you jealous."

I sat up so I was straddling him. "A little. You're mine."

He ran his hands up my thighs to grip my hips. "Aren't I supposed to be the possessive one?"

I tilted my head to the side. "I'm pretty sure it can go both ways. And I'm _not_ putting up with your fan club anymore. The next time one of those girls takes a swipe at you, the claws are coming out. They're _awful_."

"Tell me about it," he muttered and swiftly rolled us over. "Let's not think about them. Right now, let's just concentrate on us, here and now."

"Sounds good to me." I beamed as I kissed him, leisurely winding my arms around his neck.

"I love you, Aria."

"I love you too."

...

**Awww... Sirius and Aria... finally... You took so long, my lovelies...**

**I have to admit, I was planning on a more, well... dramatic I-love-you scene. But I thought it showed a nice change in Aria that she didn't want to be all public about everything and... Yeah. I'm happy with the way it turned out.**

**I couldn't help throwing Zabini's mom in there. I ADORE Blaise Zabini and his kids are in my other series, 'She's a Weasley?', which is set in the same universe as this one, meaning there just MAY be characters (or character's children) that connect with this story. I plan on picking it back up once this is finished. I can't wait!**

**Yeah... so, what did you think? I want ALL of your opinions, good or bad!**

**The epilogue should be up in a couple of weeks. I'll see you then.**

**Thanks for reading and please review! Love ya!**


	40. Epilogue

**Hey!**

**So, normally I talk a whole bunch up here... But since this is the FINAL CHAPTER of Ew, I think I'm gonna save everything for the AN at the end.**

**Read and enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: If I was J.K. Rowling, everyone would live Happily Ever After.**

...

One of the things I loved about my separate suite was the window in the bathroom. Every morning, as I showered, the window let the sunlight in, so I was bathing in golden light. It was the most calming and serene part of my day. I always shut the water off with a smile.

I wrapped a towel around myself and tugged at my hair contentedly. The months between March and June had given ample time for my hair to grow to just below my shoulder blades. I lightly fluffed my already-drying golden curls. I felt good. I felt great. Which was to be expected. I was graduating today.

The door clicked open and Sirius sauntered in, grinning. "Morning, love."

I snorted. "How about knocking? What if I wasn't decent?"

He pressed his lips against my cheek. "Wouldn't be anything I haven't seen before."

I gave a mock-gasp. "Shhh! Someone could hear!"

His lips smiled against my hair. "Yes, because I'm sure they haven't inferred anything thus far. Seeing as I haven't slept in my own dorm more than once a week since March."

I shivered as he pressed butterfly kisses down my neck. "Still. Hands off. I have to get ready. I want to be looking my best."

"You always look your best," he murmured, circling his thumbs against my hips through the towel fabric.

"Flattery will get you no where." Reluctantly, I disentangled myself from him. "Be good, and let me get ready. There'll be plenty of time for this later."

He groaned, but backed away as ordered. "No there won't. Because you're moving in with Rayne, Lily and Kristy for the summer. And I'm staying with James, Remus and Peter. All together, this equals absolutely no privacy."

I trotted into the other room and pulled on my bra and knickers. "It's only for three months," I called over my shoulder, "And I'll have my own room. It'll be fine."

His brow furrowed as he struggled to do up the buttons of his graduation uniform. "I'm going to miss living in the same room as you."

"Me too." I walked over and buttoned his shirt for him. "But don't even try to tell me you aren't going to have a kick hanging out at the Marauder pad."

"Maybe a little." He smirked. "Just you wait. In a few nights, you'll be missing my gorgeousness."

I rolled my eyes. "We're going to see each other all the time. I'm not going to be missing anything."

"Sure you aren't." He kissed me quickly on the lips. "I'm going to finish getting ready in my dorm. I'll see you down there."

"Yeah, see you."

"Love you."

"Love you too."

...

"-taught us so much, not only about magic, but about life. I'll never forget Hogwarts and I hope, one day, that I can live up to the lessons I've learned here. Thank you." Lily finished up her valedictorian speech with a sheepish smile and a blush. The crowd clapped enthusiastically as she descended from the stage to reclaim her seat next to me.

Dumbledore strode regally from his seat on the side of the stage. "Next, we will have the Speaker of the Class, elected by the students to close today's ceremony. Please welcome... Aria Colette!"

Our whole class went wild, cheering as I made my way to the stage. I smiled and waved as I took my place, dead center, in front of all of Hogwarts and the graduating students' families. I rubbed my sweaty palms on my shiny robe and tried to ignore the twinges of stage fright.

"Hey there." I tucked a loose strand of hair back behind my ear. "I fancy you lot probably know who I am. I'm afraid I haven't exactly been a wallflower."

Someone in the crowd muttered, "You can say that again." I grinned.

"I'm sorry to say I don't really know what I'm doing up here. When I found out a few days ago, I was convinced it was a huge prank by one of my more mischievous friends. Poor Remus was attacked in my attempt to find out what was going on. When I figured out it was legit, I immediately asked my friend Lily Evans what I was supposed to talk about. Her reply, verbatim, was... 'You have to talk about how much you've learned from Hogwarts'." I stood still for a second, letting the audience absorb my words. "Well then. I immediately went back to my room and wrote an Official List of What Hogwarts Has Taught Me. And, if you will let me, I'd like to read it to you."

I cleared my throat. "One: Hogwarts has taught me that a lion's greatest enemy is a snake. Which is frankly ridiculous, because when in the wild would the two ever encounter each other, or be that threatened by the other? But, more importantly, it's taught me that, like all great enemies, they only hate each other because they cannot understand each other."

"Two: Teachers are, in fact, people. It actually is really_ painful_ for them to fail a student. And did you know that Professor McGonagall is a secret chocoholic and that it takes her thirteen minutes and fifty-four seconds to get her hair up into that distinctive bun? Who knew?"

"Three: Boys are strange and persistent creatures. There is something in their brain that does not allow for the word 'no'. When they make a promise, they'll hold onto it like a dog holds onto a bone. Therefore, a promise from a boy is one of the most valuable things you can receive."

"Four: Girls are complicated. One day, you're BFFs, and the next you're at each other's throats. They take everything the wrong way and they're crazy as hell. But, when you get right down to it, whether it's making voodoo dolls or having sob fests in the Common Room, if you win a girl's loyalty, she'll stick by you 'til the end."

"Five: Shit happens. People will be crazy and the universe is most likely out to get you. But you can't let that break you down and destroy you. You have to pick up the pieces and do the best that you can. Even though one of your best bud's boyfriend's left her for you, or your friend killed herself, or your psycho mom abducted you and tortured you. We can't dwell on the bad and the awful. It'll only take us down too. You've got to hold onto to your knowledge of who you are. That knowledge is more powerful than anything in the world." The crowd was deathly silent. "No one's problems are bigger or more important than anyone else's. It sucks to not get the guy you like, even though you've been stalking him for years, or score badly on the Transfig test, or get beat up by your parents. What matters is that we take whatever troubles we get saddled with and move on. And _that's_ the most important thing Hogwarts taught me. You have to make your own happy ending. It's not going to come to you."

"So, as we go out into the world, there are a few basic things I hope we can remember. Don't judge a book by its cover, or its House. Life isn't a fairy tale, so don't dream it away. Love sucks, but living without it is worse. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And finally... Be brave, my little marshmallows. Go forth with pride. Thank you."

I inclined my head, and, for a second, there was no sound. Then there was a thundering applause that deafened me as I strode confidently down the aisle to my seat. My fellow year-mates clapped me on the back as I walked, goofy grins on their faces. For once, my urge to flinch was firmly in control. I was in control.

Dumbledore rose with a benevolent smile. "Wizarding World, please welcome the class of 1978!"

As one, we threw our hats into the air and welcomed the new phase of our lives.

I looked around at all of my friends and I knew I wouldn't be going into it alone.

...

**So, nearly two years later...**

**I gotta admit, it's kind of scary to think that Ew is officially done... I've loved every minute of writing Aria's voice and I hope you liked reading it nearly as much. Thanks to all of you who have been with me since the beginning, as well as those of you who have joined in more recently. It's been a complete treat hearing what you have to say and talking with you. I'm not sure I would've been able to stick with it without your support. So thanks so much!**

**I know everyone was kind of expecting that I'd end with something awful and tragic (AKA: James's and Lily's death, Sirius's 'betrayal', etc.), but I rather think we've had enough angst. Feel free to decide for yourself what you think happens to Aria after this, but I'm content to leave it here.**

**Anyone who has any remaining questions, feel free to leave a review and I'll answer as best I can.**

**Thanks so much, again!**

**Love you all!**


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